An Unexpected Journey
by Lady GreyWolf
Summary: A visit to the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" does not go as planned when 14 regular people are sent through a vortex, ending up in a town called Storybrooke 3 years prior, a town inhabited by fairytale characters. Together with Regina Mills, Captain Hook, David Nolan and Emma Swan the newcomers find themselves up against a formidable foe; the Wicked Witch of the West.
1. Prologue

**So this is another one of my stories based on the admins at "Get away from my godson" on Facebook. It basically follows season 3B of **_**Once Upon a Time**_**, so I write the chapters once I get new episodes and sort of just go along – so I do not know exactly where I'll end up in the end X) Anyway, hope you enjoy it! Reviews are, as always, much welcome!**

* * *

Her head was spinning and she feared that if she opened her eyes she might throw up. She could already feel the bile rising in her throat and struggled to keep it down. Close to where she was laying she heard a grunt, telling her that wherever she was she was not alone.

"Hey!" a female voice suddenly shouted, piercing the air and causing her to grimace.

"Stop shouting", a familiar voice nearby muttered.

"Filipi?" she asked, daring to open one of her eyes somewhat. The blonde grunted and rose up on her elbows.

"Good to see you, Rachel", she said.

"You too."

"Get away from there!" the female voice shouted, causing the two girls to look up. A group of ragtag people were standing further down the road, accompanied by a truck and a yellow bug.

"If you would just stop shouting, the headache might go away enough for us to stand up without fainting", a new voice said. Rachel looked to her left and smiled slightly at the gangly boy.

"You too, Toby?" she said and rolled onto her stomach, grimacing as she tried to get the world to remain still for longer than a few seconds.

"It would seem so", he answered. "What exactly happened?"

"No idea", Filipi answered and got up on her knees, "but if the three of us are here I would not be surprised if..."

A screech caused the three of them to look up and then, without further thought about potentially throwing up or fainting, scrambled to their feet as they tried to get away from the large, winged creature that suddenly swooped down on them. The woman who had told them to get away from where they had been laying pulled out a gun and fired at it, causing it to screech again and fly off just as the trio reached the rest of the group.

"What the hell was that?" Rachel gasped, staring at the quickly vanishing black shape.

"It was the same thing that took Little John", a man close by said, his accent British. All three newcomers turned their heads towards him.

"I'm sorry, what?" Filipi said. "Little John?"

"Yes", the man answered, his brow slightly furrowed and his tone clipped. "Why would that be strange to you?"

"Because they're not fairytale characters", the woman with the gun answered.

"Of course we're not fairytale characters; that would be ridiculous", Toby said. The rest of the group glanced at one another.

"Maybe not completely ridiculous", Rachel said and straightened up, grimacing slightly at the constant throbbing in her head. "That man over there has a hook for a hand."


	2. 1: Green Sparkles

**So here's chapter one! I'm really happy to see I have followers for this story already – that doesn't really happen to me too often. Hope I won't disappoint you!**

**I should warn you, though, that I have already written +40 chapters for this thing and the reason I haven't posted them all yet is that I first post the chapters in a private Facebook-group where the people who created the OCs get to read through it first, but in the original the OCs all have their creators' names. So I had to change them for this version of the story and there are two that still aren't 100% confirmed, so I'll hold off on the other chapters until I get an "okay" from those two people.**

**Also flashback chapters won't appear chronologically, just like they don't appear chronologically on the show, so make sure to read when the chapter is set. I'll try to remind you as we go of what's happened before a certain EF-chapter.**

**Lastly; please tell me if you think I should write in this "foreword" thing what OCs that are featured, since there are 14 (spoiler; will become 15 in a while) to keep track of!**

**Now I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_One Year Prior_

_Orlando, Florida_

She craned her neck and tried to see above the heads of the thousands of people walking through the terminal. Well, maybe there were not thousands of them, but it certainly felt like it. They should be here any minute now. She had butterflies chasing each other inside her entire body; it was certainly not every day you got to meet people that you had only talked to online, sitting on opposite sides of the planet.

She glanced up at the giant board displaying the arriving flights. The one she was waiting for, one from Atlanta, had landed fifteen minutes ago. Logically they should not be out yet, especially not considering their jetlag, but still; they were here. Any minute now they would walk out through those doors and meet up.

Her phone chimed and she picked it up, answering the call.

"They're not here yet."

"Damn it!" came Jade's voice.

"They've landed and are probably collecting their bags and such. Are the others awake yet?"

"Rachel's up; her bloody alarm started chiming half an hour ago."

"She did warn you about that last night."

"Well, I thought she would let herself sleep a bit longer", Jade groaned. "Is it because of that she's a teacher? Because that..."

"What was that about being a teacher, Jade?" came a voice in the background, causing Jade to scream. The girl waiting at the terminal covered the phone so that the whole terminal would not hear it.

"Have they arrived, Catriona?" Rachel asked, taking the phone from a now cursing Jade.

"They've landed, but they're not out yet", Catriona answered.

"Give us a call when you've met. I'm going to try to wake Miranda and Fili."

"Good luck with that!"

"I think I'm going to need it", Rachel sighed before she hung up.

A few minutes later the doors letting out passengers with their bags swung open once more and Catriona felt a huge smile spread on her face when she spotted the group appearing there. There were six of them, four guys and two girls, and despite their tired faces they looked happy and smiled just as widely when they saw Catriona making her way towards them. The shouts of happiness and the laughter that erupted when they embraced one another caused more than one fellow passenger to stare at them.

"I can't believe it!" Tessa said. "I can't believe it! God, I'm so tired, but I can't believe it!"

"How do you think I feel?" Catriona asked. "You were these people from the other side of the world and now you're suddenly standing right here! It's incredible!"

After sharing another group-hug they crammed themselves and their bags inside a rented minivan, which in turn brought them to the hostel where the rest of the group was waiting for them. When they entered the reception the newly arrived members were therefore greeted with joyful shouts and another group-hug. Out of the eighteen who had been invited fourteen had managed to make the trip; people who had met on the internet through a common interest and had decided to make this journey together, if money would allow them to. Out of the ones gathered Indira from India and Rachel from Sweden were the oldest; twenty-six years old. Then there was Filipi, three years younger, from Finland. Next came Toby from Australia, the superbly skinny and tall know-it-all of the group, and from another region of the same country came Wolfgang, the sarcastic one. Those two were a year younger than Filipi, as was Miranda from the UK. The quartet yet another year younger consisted of Chris and Tessa from Australia, and Maryse and Arianne from Canada. Next came Rowan and Clarissa – two more Australians (they did make up half of the group that had made the trip). Catriona was second youngest; the only one younger than her was Jade and both of them originated from the US, though from very different parts of this big nation. All in all the age difference between Indira and Jade was almost exactly eight years.

"Now this is an adventure!" Chris said, grinning like a madman.

* * *

The group had gotten together to visit the _Wizarding World of Harry Potter_ in Orlando, Florida. As people were tired after their flights it had been decided early on that they would spend the first day at the hostel, or close to it, just taking it easy and watching movies. People were dropping off to sleep one by one, spread out around the room and resting on top of one another. In a way it was like they had met before, like they had known each other since the beginning of time and had no personal barriers between one another. In reality some of them had not known of the others' existence until five years prior when Rachel, Maryse, Wolfgang, Jade, Filipi and Arianne joined the group after winning an admin contest for a Facebook fanpage. Over the course of the years they had grown incredibly close, sharing more stories with one another than with people they knew in real life. There was something about the group that felt safe, that provided a supporting shoulder whenever life got tough.

Thanks to this arrangement, however, they found themselves waking up to Rachel's phone alarm at half past six the following morning, still lying on top of one another in a now very warm room.

"Damn it, Rachel!" Jade grunted.

"Well, if we want to make it to the Hogwarts Express on time we should probably get going", Rachel responded, though yawned as well. This statement did wake everyone up, however, as they had previously decided that, in true _Harry Potter_-fashion, they would make sure to catch the Hogwarts Express at precisely eleven o'clock on September 1st and to do that they needed to be at the theme park at a good time.

"We've got two bathrooms to use; make a line, people!" Clarissa called, tearing out stuff that she would be needing from her bag, falling down from the bed onto the floor in the process.

With fourteen people waiting to use the shower it soon became obvious that they needed to eat while on the road. Those that were done first were therefore charged with the task of picking up various breakfast items from the diner in the lobby that they would then stuff into the two available minivans, enabling the ones forced to wait for their time in the shower to eat later.

A little later than they had planned they were off. In both vans the excitement seemed so physical that you could actually reach out a hand and grab it if you wanted to. Tessa nibbled on some crackers but other than that there was an eerie silence in the cars as they approached their goal.

"Somebody please pinch me", Rachel said as they parked the cars and stepped outside. "We're really here?"

"Yep", Rowan responded.

Once the initial shock had subsided they made their way in through the gates to the park, squealing every time they came upon something they recognized from the story (which basically meant that there were constant squeals erupting from the group).

"Should we do Ollivander's here or in Hogsmeade?" Miranda asked while taking another bite of her ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

"We have time right now before we have to go to King's Cross", Toby responded, glancing at his watch to confirm his suspicions.

"I'm surprised there is no line outside", Filipi said as they walked over to the famous wand shop. "I mean, it's known to be one of the most popular attractions, with the wand-choosing ceremony and all of that. It's known to have a really long line."

"Maybe we just got here at a good time", Wolfgang suggested as they stepped inside the dark shop, finding it deserted.

"Am I the only one who has a bad feeling about this?" Arianne asked.

"Good morning."

The voice caused them all to jump and turn around, standing face to face with an old man with bushy white hair and large pale, silvery eyes. He truly looked just like how Mr Ollivander was described in the books.

"Ah, good morning", he said in a distinctly British accent. "I did think that you all would wander in here someday soon."

"I'm sorry, what?" Jade said, expressing the confusion they all felt. The man smiled at them before he moved back to the shelves.

"Let me see, let me see", he said. "Ah, yes. This one should do well for you, miss Catriona."

"How does he know my name?" Catriona whispered to the others.

"This is beyond weird", Indira said. "Something's off about all of this."

"Christopher, holly, am I right?" the man called from the shelves.

"Holly what?" Chris answered.

"Your wand should be made of holly", the man responded, climbing down from the ladder he had been standing on.

"Your Pottermore-wand is made of holly", Rachel hissed. A few years before she had made a list of everyone's wands on the mentioned website and was, somehow, able to remember them all.

"Sir, how do you know who we are?" Wolfgang asked. The man walked back to the counter, his arms filled with boxes.

"Don't everyone, Mr Wolfgang?" he answered. "Now, I believe these are exactly what you will be needing."

"For what?" Maryse asked. The man did not respond; instead he opened the boxes one at a time and handed out the wands. When everyone was holding one he stepped back.

"There you are", he said. "Flick them, try them out."

The members of the group shared a few glances before they, as one, raised their wands and flicked them in the air. Immediately the floor in front of them opened up into a swirling, green vortex.

"Good luck!" the old man called, but when they looked up at where he had been standing he was gone. The vortex grew stronger, chewing away the floorboards beneath their feet.

"We have to get out of here!" Toby shouted over the increasing wind caused by the vortex.

"We can't!" Tessa yelled back. "The door's gone!"

The floorboard beneath Miranda's right foot was suddenly chewed to pieces and pulled her into the vortex.

"Miranda!" Indira called, grabbing the British girl's hand as she fell down.

"Get them up!" Rowan shouted as also Indira was being pulled closer to the green swirl. Before anyone could act, however, more floorboards were swallowed and, with them, more people were pulled down.

"We can't fight it!" Rachel shouted. "Whatever this is we have to let it swallow us!"

"But what's going to happen to us, then?" Chris shouted back, holding onto Tessa for dear life.

"I don't know!" Rachel responded. "Just hold on to one another and we'll be fine! I promise!"

With that she let go of the wooden pillar she had held on to and, while holding onto Filipi's hand, fell screaming into the vortex. Seeing their friends fall was all it took for the others to follow and soon they were all being sent spinning in the green light, not knowing where they could possibly end up but hoping that wherever that might be they would end up together.


	3. 2: Red Scars

**Might still change some of the names, but at least so far I haven't received any objections. As there are already quite a few chapters written you will be bombarded with them for a little while. I'll try not to upload everyone at once, but there'll still be quite a lot posted during the upcoming days.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

The small town they had landed in was, according to their rescuers, called Storybrooke, located in Maine in the northeast corner of the US. It also seemed to be inhabited by fairytale characters brought away from their realm by a curse – the second one they had experienced. To be honest it was a very confusing scenario made even more confusing by them all experiencing throbbing, spinning heads. Their female rescuer, Emma Swan, had driven them to a place called _Granny's Bed and Breakfast_ (run by the grandmother from _Little Red Riding Hood_) where she ordered them to stay until she had time to talk to them; apparently she was the town's unofficial sheriff (the official post was held by one of the men they had previously met, David Nolan).

To their surprise the trio were surprised to find familiar faces waiting for them at the B&B.

"You guys are here too?" Jade said, jumping up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"It would seem so", Toby responded, "though I'm still not sure if this is actually happening or if it's caused by a severe trauma that one of us is experiencing."

"We need to find somewhere to talk this out", Miranda said. "Maybe we can find an explanation to all of this."

Steps sounded on the staircase and when they looked up they spotted Chris and Tessa.

"God, it's good to see you all!" Tessa exclaimed and embraced the newcomers.

"How many of us are actually here?" Rachel asked, looking around at the now assembled group of seven.

"Tessa and I landed not far from this place, so Granny took us in and gave us a room upstairs", Chris answered. "Wolf and Indira are also here."

"So that's nine", Filipi said. "Five are missing if only those that met up in Orlando were somehow brought here."

"Hopefully, if they're in this town as well, someone will bring them here", Miranda said.

"Meanwhile we need to go through what we know of what is going on", Rachel said. "Let's head up to your room."

She nodded at Chris and Tessa, who quickly led them up the stairs and inside a small room containing a bed, a desk with a chair and a chest of drawers. They were then greeted by Wolfgang and Indira. After a number of hugs they lay or sat down wherever they could, just like they had done at the hostel back in Orlando, leaning onto one another for support.

"Alright, so what do we know?" Tessa asked.

"We're in a town called Storybrooke and it is inhabited by fairytale characters brought here through a curse", Filipi answered.

"Were we as well?" Jade asked.

"I don't think so", Wolfgang answered. "I mean, we're not fairytale characters. We're regular people."

"Who just happened to run into a very real Mr Ollivander", Miranda said.

"With working wands", Chris filled in. "Does anyone still have theirs?"

They all checked their pockets but found them empty.

"I guess we dropped them when we fell through the vortex", Toby said. "It would make sense; I don't remember having time to put it away anywhere before we fell into it."

"I think we ought to take this into consideration as well", Rachel said and pulled down a calendar from the wall. She placed it on the bed and pointed at the four digits representing the current year.

"2014?" Indira said with a frown. "That's not possible."

"Just like a swirling green vortex was not possible", Chris said. "Along with real fairytale characters."

"The vortex must have brought us back in time", Wolfgang said.

"That still does not explain why we're in this town, or why this is happening at all", Toby pointed out. "I feel as if we are missing something."

"Something like this?" Jade asked and pulled up her left sleeve. Trailing down her bicep was a jagged, red scar.

"When did you get that?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know; I just felt super-stiff and thought it was because of the vortex, but then I went into the bathroom and checked and, well, there it was."

"It's not old", Indira said. "The injury was probably sustained not more than three months ago."

"But I don't remember getting it", Jade argued. "I have never had a scar there before, especially not one looking like this."

"Has anyone else got anything?" Rachel asked. "Stiffness, strange injuries, pain?"

They helped each other check and soon found that they all had new scars to display. Among the more serious ones was a burn-mark stretching along the side of Tessa's left leg, which Indira and Toby suspected could not be more than a month old, a bruise not older than a couple of days covering most of Wolfgang's lower right arm, and a cut-like scar running diagonally across Rachel's back.

"I'm starting to think that maybe we were affected by the curse", Miranda said, her voice low. The others only nodded in agreement.

"Judging by these injuries we've had our minds wiped, but how much have we forgotten?" Filipi asked. "Jade's injury is about three months old, Rachel's scar might be older..."

Chris responded by opening the door to the room and walking out into the corridor.

"Emma Swan told us to stay here", Rachel protested.

"No, she told you three to stay here", Chris answered. "The rest of us were not ordered to do anything and I'm going to try figuring out what is going on."

"But the others are already on the case", Miranda said.

"And there's the flying monsters to be aware of", Filipi said. "They've already kidnapped some of the real residents."

"Hey, I agree with Chris", Wolfgang said and walked after the other boy. "We are not fairytale characters but have somehow been affected by whatever this curse has done; we have to figure out who's responsible and how to get back."

"Is it just going to be us or are you all coming along as well?" Chris filled in. The other seven looked around at one another and, eventually, Jade groaned.

"Fine, I'm coming as well."

"Knew I could count on you, Jade", Wolfgang said with a grin. "Anyone else?"

"If we're going we should split up, try to find clues wherever we can", Rachel said. "There's nine of us, after all, so we should be able to cover things quite quickly. The town did not seem too big."

"Who said we were all coming?" Toby asked.

"Come on, Toby", Filipi sighed. "Aren't you dying to find out what is actually going on?"

"Actually this reminds me of Rachel's story when we all ventured out into the Forbidden Forest", Toby pointed out.

"That was a story", Rachel responded.

"Yes, and this town is inhabited by fairytale characters!"

"I'm not sure I'm up for it, either", Miranda said. "I would rather stay here, in case the Emma comes back."

"Me too", Tessa agreed.

"Indira, are you coming?" Chris asked. The Indian girl hesitated.

"Fine", she eventually sighed. "What's the plan?"

"We split up in two groups", Wolfgang responded. "One heads in one direction down on the street and one in the other. We'll meet up here again in three hours and go through what we have."

"Sounds good", Rachel said. "I think Indira and I should be in separate groups; we're the oldest ones."

"So you're baby-sitting us?" Jade asked as they headed down the stairs.

"No, not like that", Rachel quickly responded. "It's just that... well, it seemed like a good idea."

"Well, then we should have one guy in each group as well", Chris said. "Just to be on the safe side."

"So who's with who?" Filipi asked.

"Wolf's with me", Indira answered.

"Alright, may I ask why?" Wolfgang questioned.

"Gut feeling. That leaves Chris with Rachel."

They exited through the front door and walked down the stone-covered path leading from the patio to the road itself. The sun had begun to sink behind the trees and no one doubted that it would be dark within an hour.

"Want to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who's going with who out of the two of us?" Jade asked, looking at Filipi.

"Sure. Which group should the winner belong to?"

"Indira and Wolf", Jade answered. "Best of three?"

Filipi nodded and the two stopped to face one another. Jade won the first round by using a scissor to defeat Filipi's paper. However, after that Filipi managed to win two in a row by first sticking to paper to capture Jade's stone and then switching to scissors, cutting Jade's paper.

"You're with us, Jade", Chris said with a grin.

"Three hours from now, then", Rachel said, looking at Wolfgang. The boy nodded.

"Three hours. Good luck!"


	4. 3: Black Fur

"Do you think they'll find anything?" Miranda asked.

"We just have to hope they do", Toby answered, examining the scar he had discovered on his lower calf. It was small and made him think it was a wound caused by something being thrown or shot at him, but why or how he had received it in the first place was as unknown as with everyone else's injuries.

"This is quite a different adventure from the one we'd expected", Tessa sighed and leaned back against the bed. "We were expecting to have a meet-up, head to the _Wizarding World of Harry Potter_, be all nostalgic and crazy and geeky and then it would be back home again."

Miranda smiled sadly in agreement.

"How old are we now, by the way?" Toby asked. "Last I remember it was 2017 and I was twenty-two years old, then we're back here and it's 2014 so I guess that'd make me nineteen, but now we find out that we have lost several months, maybe even a year or more..."

"No, stop, that's all too confusing", Tessa groaned.

"We need something to do while we wait for the others", Miranda decided and rose from the chair. "I'll head across the street to the diner me and Jade spotted when we got here while you two come up with a game of some kind that we can play. Alright?"

"Fine, just bring back something good to eat", Tessa said.

"I'll bring what I can find", Miranda answered before she hurried downstairs. Before exiting the house she made sure that she indeed had her wallet on. Once she had confirmed this she wrapped her cardigan tighter around her and headed outside, the chill of Maine hitting her head on. If the calendar on the wall had been turned to the right month that meant it was March here right now and she would not be surprised if the temperature was down beneath 0 degrees Celcius. The fact that she was wearing a cardigan was another clue to them actually not having been transported directly from Orlando to here as she did not remember wearing one when visiting the _Wizarding World of Harry Potter_.

The street was empty of cars and made for an easy crossing. Upon entering the diner she found it filled with people. No one looked at her as if she was different, however; it would seem they were a bit disoriented as well, and considering the vast amount of fairytales that existed it would be impossible for them to recognize everyone.

"Can I help you?" a young woman with brown hair and red highlights asked from behind the counter.

"Yes, I'd like some food to bring with me", Miranda answered.

"Just random food or something a bit more specific?" the woman asked with a smile. Miranda blushed.

"Well, what would you recommend?"

"How many are you?" the woman asked.

"Three", Miranda answered. "Well, we're expecting six more to turn up, so make it nine."

"Wow, that's quite a company", the woman said with a new smile. "I can make a set of sandwiches for you to bring along, different kinds, of course."

"Yes, that'd be great."

The woman immediately set to work, chopping vegetables and preparing slices of meat. While waiting Miranda looked around the diner. In the back of her mind she knew it was a futile attempt to possibly jog her memory, but no matter how hard she looked she could not find anything familiar.

"There, all done", the woman said, drawing her attention once more.

"Thank you so much", Miranda said. "How much..."

"It's on the house", the woman answered. "Granny and I have agreed not to charge customers until we figure out what's going on. I'm Ruby, by the way."

"Miranda."

Ruby smiled and was about to say something else when the door to the diner opened and a stout man with a black and grey beard entered.

"Big news, everybody!" he shouted. Everyone immediately turned towards him, all ears. Miranda knew better than to act like she did not understand what was going on and thus did the same.

"Emma found Regina", the man continued. "She was holed up in her office working on a potion."

"What kind of potion?" a man with glasses and a scarf asked, rising from a chair by the bar.

"Was she going to hurt us?" another man asked.

"A memory potion", the man by the door answered, walking further inside the diner. "Regina said she's going to use it to prove that she didn't cast the curse."

"Like I'd drink anything she handed me", an old woman said, her voice dripping with hatred.

"Well, somebody will!" the man shouted. "And if they remember, we'll know exactly who did this to us."

With those words the diner was suddenly bustling with activity and when Miranda turned back towards Ruby she found her gone, off talking to the old woman. The door chimed again and Miranda turned, watching as a woman with red hair walked down to the road in a hurry. She frowned; why would somebody leave the diner in such a hurry right now? A shiver passed down her spine and she shrugged, before she grabbed the paper bag with the sandwiches, managed to wave goodbye to Ruby and then head back out and across the street.

* * *

"Tell me again why we should be looking for things inside a hospital?" Jade asked.

"Well, it's a long shot, but our journey here wasn't exactly pleasurable", Rachel answered as she walked first down the corridor. "You told me you landed together with Miranda, and Chris, Tessa, Wolf and Indira also landed together, as did me, Filipi and Toby. Logically that means the others did not end up alone, but what if one of them was injured when landing?"

"Then the other one would bring them here", Chris filled in. He had hardly finished speaking when the doors behind them burst open and a group of nurses came rushing through the corridor. Rolling between them was a bier on wheels with an injured man.

"Out of the way!" one of them shouted, causing the trio to jump aside.

"What are you doing here?" a man walking behind the nurses asked as he spotted them. "I thought Emma told you to stay at Granny's."

"Well, we would have if we didn't realize something had happened to us as well", Rachel responded, falling into steps next to the man. "Long story short we seem to have been transported through time and have also managed to lose our memories of what happened during the last three months, at least."

"Wait, who's this?" Chris asked.

"I'm David", the man answered.

"Doesn't tell us much", Jade said. "Who's the injured guy?"

"Little John", David responded. Chris' mouth fell open.

"Seriously? You've got Robin Hood as well?"

"He would be the guy up there", another man said. He was dressed differently than the others, more like someone stepping right out of a fairytale. The fact that he also had a hook for a hand, which he now used to point at the man walking closest to the bier, sort of gave away who he might be.

"So, Captain Hook and Robin Hood in the same room", Jade said. "Who would have thought?"

"What did this to him?" a man in a long white coat, obviously a doctor, asked.

"We don't know", David answered. They had now entered a patient ward and the bier was placed in the centre, allowing the nurses to stand around the wounded man. He was shaking violently.

"He's going into shock!" one of the nurses shouted.

"We need to sedate him", the doctor ordered. Little John suddenly gave a scream and a long, black tail whipped out from beneath him. Everyone in the room seemed to inhale sharply in shock. The next moment the tail whipped away the needle meant to sedate him, sending the doctor stumbling backwards in the process.

"John!" the man pointed out as Robin Hood shouted. David moved forward, grabbing Little John's shoulders in an attempt to hold him down.

"Look out!" Rachel suddenly shouted, pushing him aside as something else appeared, striking against the man. Instead it now sent her and a nearby nurse crashing into a shelf filled with medicines.

"Rachel!" Chris and Jade shouted as one, moving to help their friend but instead being sent in the opposite direction by something black.

"Bloody hell!" Captain Hook cried out, having also been flung to the floor. He now quickly moved Robin out of harm's way as the tail aimed their way once more.

"John!" Robin called again, desperately hoping he could still reach his friend. David looked around and saw Rachel sitting up, grimacing slightly. She did not seem to be severely hurt, or at least she was not unconscious. Then he heard the strangest chatter and turned around, noticing that everyone else in the room did the same.

On the bier there was no sign of Little John. Instead a creature with black and silvery fur, a long, black tail and huge, black wings rose on it. As it straightened out they could all see that it was a monkey.

"Okay, I didn't see that coming", David admitted as he slowly got to his feet. The monkey then screamed at them, a scream mostly resembling the sound of someone dragging their fingernails across a blackboard and thus causing them all to shrink back and, at least partially, cover their ears. It flapped its wings and pushed the bier away, levitating in front of them for a few more moments before it turned and soared through the room, crashing through the window at the far end and disappearing in the darkness that had now fallen over the town.

"What the hell was that thing?" David asked.

"Don't look at me", the doctor said. "I'm a doctor, no a vet."

"Am I the only one who saw a monkey with wings?" Chris asked.

"No, definitely not", Rachel said and grimaced as she rose. She touched the back of her head and her hand came back covered in blood. This caused one of the nurses to quickly force her to sit down on a nearby bed so that they could take a look at it.

"How did he even... become like that?" Jade asked. "He just... he was transformed. Bones and flesh and hair and clothes and... everything."

* * *

**Okay, so that's the batch for now. More coming in a couple of hours!**


	5. 4: Out of the Grey Sky

**Hope you all enjoyed the previous chapters! Now here's a batch of three new ones, the first being an EF-chapter and then there are two SB-chapters coming up. Enjoy!**

* * *

_One Year Prior_

_Outside the Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

This was the second time they had been attacked by a flying monkey since their return to the Enchanted Forest. At least the fact that they had now been able to identify the creature as a flying monkey meant they knew who they were up against; the Wicked Witch from Oz (although Grumpy had been quick to point out that they did not know if it was East or West they were facing). Most likely she was the one currently holed up in the Dark Palace with a protection spell keeping the former residents of Storybrooke out. To say that David felt uneasy about their new predicament would be an understatement. The fact that Regina also claimed that she had never met the Witch or in any way done something that could possibly cause her to want revenge did not exactly make him feel calmer.

A rumbling sound made them all look up at the sky once more, half-expecting another creature to swoop down towards them. What they spotted instead was nothing like that; a swirling, green vortex that swept down like a tornado towards the ground. Except for the strong winds and trembling ground that it created David was also sure he felt several thuds, as if the vortex dropped something off in front of them.

"Stand ready!" he ordered, raising his sword in front of him. Slowly the vortex withdrew from the ground and disappeared up in the sky as if it had never been there. The only difference was that it had left something behind; on the ground in front of them lay eight people, grunting and struggling to get up.

"Remind me to not ever jump into one of those things again", a boy, or a young man, with black hair said as he rolled over onto his back.

"I think I'm going to throw up", a ginger girl managed to say. A boy close to her, also he a ginger, lifted his head and blinked a few times in order to regain focus. When he noticed the group further down the road he frowned.

"Er, guys? You might want to see this."

"I'm only opening my eyes if you can get the world to stop spinning", a blonde girl responded.

"No, seriously; you have to look", the ginger boy said. Slowly several of the others rolled over and looked up, also they blinking several times before managing to focus.

"Who are you and who sent you?" David demanded to know.

"Were we just transported back in time?" a girl with strawberry-blonde hair asked, rising to her elbows.

"It almost seems like it, doesn't it?" the dark-haired boy who had spoken first responded. David stepped closer and pointed his sword at the group.

"Answer the question."

"Well, I'm Chris", the ginger boy said, "and this is Tessa, Maryse, Rowan, Clarissa, Catriona, Indira and Miranda."

"Wait, there are only eight of us here?" a dark-haired woman, Indira, said, looking around. "What about the others?"

"Others?" David heard Snow White ask behind him. "What others?"

"Our friends who fell into that vortex with us", Catriona answered. "They should also be here, right?"

"Am I the only one who finds this story very confusing?" Grumpy asked.

"There were fourteen of us", Miranda explained. "Six of our friends are missing."

"That still does not explain how you got here", David said.

"If we could explain it then we would", Clarissa, the blonde girl, responded.

"Am I the only one who has noticed the fact that they are dressed in a completely different way than we are?" Regina suddenly said, sounding vastly uninterested. Everyone turned to look at her before turning back towards the newcomers and now they, indeed, noticed that the eight young humans in front of them wore clothes that did not belong in the Enchanted Forest.

"Earth-clothes", Snow breathed.

"I'm sorry, did you say Earth-clothes?" Tessa, the ginger girl, asked.

"How could they have come from Earth?" David asked, looking at Regina. "I thought you said all of the portals there have been shut."

"That was what I believed", the dark-haired Queen answered.

"So we're not on Earth?" Maryse, the girl with strawberry-blonde hair, asked, sitting up.

"No", David said and lowered his sword. "You are in the Enchanted Forest."

The group stared at him before they all started laughing.

"And that makes you, what, Prince Charming?" Rowan asked.

"Actually yes."

The laughter died out as quickly as it had started, replaced by stunned stares.

"You're kidding", Clarissa said. David stepped aside slightly.

"Allow me to introduce my wife, Snow White, the Seven Dwarves, Belle, Neal, Granny, Red Riding Hood, the Merry Men, Robin Hood, and Regina, the former Evil Queen."

"Okay, that's... really not what I was expecting to happen when I woke up this morning", Indira said, slowly rising.

"Until you are reunited with your friends and find a way back home you are welcome to stay with us", David continued. "Meanwhile we others stick to our original plan; arm up, then attack. Assuming you can get the shield down."

He looked at Regina who gave him an icy glare.

"You don't have to worry about me", she responded and took a step forward, aiming to leave.

"I'm coming with you", Snow said, readying her bow once more.

"No", Regina interrupted. "This is a one woman job."

"What?" Snow said. "Against the Wicked Witch?"

"Sorry, the what-now?" Clarissa asked, expressing the confusion she and her friends probably all felt. Snow decided to ignore them for now.

"Regina, she has flying monkeys and who knows what else!"

"I don't care if the Lollipop guild is protecting her", Regina said, her voice sharp and her dark gaze piercing. "I can lower that shield on my own."

David looked at Snow and saw something in his wife's expression that he could best describe as realization. However, what it was that she had realized he did not know.

"Then we'll be waiting for you on the other side", Snow eventually said, managing a smile. Regina held her gaze a short while longer before she turned and headed off down another path. The group of newcomers looked after her in sheer surprise before turning back towards the fairytale characters.

"The Wicked Witch?" Maryse asked. "As in the one from Oz?"

"It would seem that she has taken over our home in our absence", David said. "What her reason might be is unknown."

"Why do I get the feeling that your stories are not exactly the ones we grew up hearing?" Catriona asked.

"They probably aren't", Belle responded. "It's a long story, though."

"Is there anything else we have to do besides hearing that story?" Miranda asked.

"We need to find somewhere with a good view of the Dark Palace so that we know when Regina has lowered the shield", David said and sheathed his sword. "Robin?"

He looked around, but to his surprise he found that the outlaw had disappeared, leaving his young son, Roland, in the arms of Little John.

"Where did he go?" one of the dwarves asked. None of the Merry Men answered; apparently they were too loyal to their leader to reveal wherever he had gone off to.

"He's not going to cause trouble, Charming", Snow said, giving him a slight hint of a smile. "One of his men might know a good location."

"There's an old campsite not far from here that might suffice", Little John eventually answered. "It is well protected but also has good look-out locations."

"Good", David said. "Let's get moving."


	6. 5: Yellow Town Hall

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Indira shivered and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. So far they had not done much more than walk down the main street of the small town, hoping they would find something, or someone, that could provide them with a clue or two. The shrieking sound they had heard from the other end of the town had, however, been enough to cause them to turn and walk back. Indira crossed her fingers in hope that the shrieking had not in any way been a sign of trouble aiming for their friends.

"We really need some sort of history-lesson regarding this town", Filipi muttered. "It feels creepy."

"You don't say?" Wolfgang responded. Indira rolled her eyes at him.

"Fili's right", she said. "We seriously don't know anything about this place other than that it's inhabited by fairytale characters; heroes as well as villains, and if our journey here is anything to go by we could probably assume that magic is a real thing here."

"Too bad we don't have our wands", Wolfgang said.

"You seriously think they would have worked?" Filipi asked. Wolfgang shrugged.

"For all we know we actually met the real Ollivander who gave us real wands that then caused the vortex to appear when we all waved them around."

"When did you get so smart?" Filipi questioned. Wolfgang looked offended.

"Hey, just because I'm not a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw it does not mean I'm not smart."

"Guys!" Indira hissed and knelt down behind a parked car. The other two quickly followed suit.

"What?" Wolfgang asked. "What did you see?"

Indira peered over the hood, studying the large, yellow house on the opposite side of the street.

"Someone's moving around inside that building", she said. Filipi and Wolfgang slowly lifted their heads, joining her by the hood.

"So what?" Wolfgang asked, his voice a mere whisper. "It's a house; people live there and move around there."

"If you don't think there's anything wrong why are you whispering?" Indira asked, glaring at him. He paused.

"Alright, go ahead with the deduction, Auror Singh", he said, referring to the character she had created for an old _Harry Potter_-fanfiction written by Rachel. The nickname caused her to roll her eyes at him.

"Look", Filipi said, drawing their attention. Across the street two women were stepping out of a yellow bug, hurriedly walking to the house while making as little sound as possible.

"The blonde one's the Sheriff", Filipi continued. "I knew I recognized the car."

"Something's definitely wrong, then", Indira said and watched as the two women walked in through the door. "Come on."

"You want us to go in after them?" Filipi asked, frowning.

"Yes", Indira said and rose. Wolfgang's face widened into a grin.

"There's the Gryffindor in you", he said and rose as well.

"I thought you were the responsible one", Filipi said, rising with a smile as well.

"Really? You're in for a surprise, then."

The trio moved across the road and up the stairs to the house, finding the door unlocked. Once inside they found rows of offices and conference rooms; apparently the house was not exactly someone's living quarters.

The shadow they had seen moving inside one of the rooms had been on the second floor and thus they started to move up the stairs, trying their best to move silent when stepping on the stone. The second floor showed off another corridor of offices. One of the doors was open and from inside they could hear voices.

"I sealed the room with a blood lock", a female voice said. "It can keep you out or it can keep you in."

Wolfgang met Indira's gaze and mouthed "blood lock" with a surprised expression. She decided not to respond with anything but a shrug; she might not know the exact definition of such magic, but she guessed it had something to do with DNA. Most likely it limited the amount of people that could remove it to those that shared the same genes.

"I know what I'm doing", the voice continued, sounding confident. The next moment they heard another door open up and they took the chance, moving up to the already open door. On its glass window it said, with golden letters, _Town of Storybrooke; Mayor's Office_. It led to a small room with a secretary's desk and, behind the desk, was another open door with the word _Mayor_.

"Don't move!" came another female voice from inside the second room.

"There's nowhere for you to go", the first voice filled in, but had hardly finished speaking when a whooshing sound interrupted her. When it waned the two women they had been following gasped.

"I thought you said he couldn't do that", the Sheriff said, looking at her companion.

"No one can break through my magic", the other woman said, baffled and her voice barely a whisper due to the shock. "No matter how powerful they are, they can't."

"Then who are we dealing with?" the Sheriff asked, turning her head and noticing the trio outside the door. She immediately raised her gun.

"What are you three doing here?"

They quickly raised their hands.

"Sorry, we did not mean to startle you", Indira said.

"We're investigating something", Wolfgang filled in. "Maybe the same thing as you."

The Sheriff slowly lowered her gun.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"No fairytale characters", Indira answered, "but we ended up here anyway earlier today with no memory stretching back possibly half-a-year."

"If you're under the same curse as the rest of the town you should probably make that one whole year", the dark-haired woman who had talked about magic said. "That is what the rest of us are experiencing."

"But how can they be affected?" the Sheriff asked, looking at her companion. The dark-haired woman shook her head.

"I don't know, but from what we just saw happening we are dealing with something new."

"What exactly did you see?" Filipi asked.

"Nothing that concerns you", the dark-haired woman responded, her tone cold.

"Maybe it does", Wolfgang responded and crossed his arms over his chest. The woman whipped her head towards him, her dark eyes glaring.

"Don't try to intimidate me, young man."

"And why is that?"

"Wolfgang, seriously, step back", Filipi said. "You are unarmed and talking to someone who previously talked about using magic. What are you going to do?"

"Find an explanation to all of this", he responded.

"By starting a fight with someone?" Indira asked. "How much of an idiot are you?"

"Alright, people, please; listen up", the Sheriff said. "We obviously want the same thing here; we want to find whoever cast the curse and get people's memories back. Right?"

"Yes", the dark-haired woman answered.

"Exactly", Indira said at the same time. The blonde nodded.

"Okay, good. Then let's go somewhere we can go through what we know and figure out our next step. Alright?"

"And where would that place be?" the dark-haired woman asked with an ironic, sweet smile. "As you might remember the whole town thinks I'm responsible."

"We'll go to Mary Margaret's apartment", the Sheriff responded. At this the dark-haired woman looked pained.

"No. Henry will be there, won't he?"

The Sheriff paused, giving her comrade a compassionate look.

"You can't avoid him forever, Regina."


	7. 6: Snow White

"You should not have done that", David said, pacing in front of her.

"Why is that?" she asked, then grimaced slightly as the doctor stitched up the wound at the back of her head.

"Because look where that got you", the man in front of her responded, placing his hands on his hips in frustration.

"Look, it's not the first scar I've ever received", she responded with a shrug.

"Then _why_?" David asked and stepped closer. "Why did you do it? What made you push me aside? I do not even know who you are!"

She hesitated and looked down at her hands. That was the one question she could not answer. If the monkey's growing wing, which had been what had hit her, had moved towards Chris or Jade she would have known the answer at once; they were her friends and she protected her friends. That was simply who she was. David Nolan was something else. They did not know each other, they had hardly spoken by the town line when she, Toby and Filipi had appeared there and when they had met here at the hospital all she had done was explain to him why they had not stayed at _Granny's_. Hardly enough to build the kind of friendship that would make her want to take his place when it came to receiving an injury.

"I don't know", she sighed and looked up at him. His features softened somewhat and he nodded.

"Alright, well, it's been a confusing day for all of us", he said. At that Chris popped his head past the screen to her right.

"Is the reprimanding done?" he asked.

"Wouldn't it be better to ask if they're finished stitching up Rachel's head?" Jade asked, her head also appearing.

"Just about", the doctor answered. "The cut wasn't too deep; it should heal up nicely."

Rachel looked up at him with a smile.

"Thank you", she said and rose. This move caused also Hook to rise from a chair by the wall, but Robin remained seated, his eyes staring at something no one else could see.

"He needs to rest", a bald man, one of the Merry Men, said. "Losing John like this is hard on him."

"Agreed", David said. "Get him to _Granny's_, I'm sure there will be a place for him to rest there."

"We can take him", Chris offered. "I mean, we're staying there as well, so it wouldn't be any trouble."

"Good", David said with a nod. "Take the Merry Men with you as well; it's not safe for them out in the forest."

"But..." Robin said, blinking and looking up for the first time. "Roland. I have to get back to Roland."

"Who's Roland?" Rachel asked.

"My son", the outlaw answered and rose. "I'm sorry, but I have to get back to him."

"Robin, wait", David said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder as he turned to walk out of the room. "Let your men get your son. You are of no good use for him as you are now."

Robin was about to protest when the bald Merry Man spoke up.

"I will go and get him and the others, Robin. We will meet up at _Granny's_."

The outlaw's shoulders slumped in resignation and he allowed himself to be led out of the room by the doctor. Chris and Jade followed, along with the bald man, and Rachel moved to leave as well when David's hand landed on her shoulder.

"Not you."

"And why is that?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned towards him. "Do you need to lock me up somewhere?"

"No", the man answered, "but I want you to come with me and Hook to where I'm staying. We need to go over what has happened and figure out what to do next."

"You could have asked Chris or Jade to do that", Rachel pointed out. "Why me?"

David did not answer; instead a grinning Hook stepped up.

"Let's face it, love; you have made quite an impression on Prince Charming here."

"First; don't call me love", Rachel said, giving the pirate a sharp gaze. "Second; Prince Charming?"

"Yeah", David said and led the way out through the door. "That would be what people called me back in the Enchanted Forest."

"And the Enchanted Forest was basically the home of all fairytale characters living in this town?"

"Not quite", Hook answered, walking up next to her and allowing David to walk on ahead. "Now most might be from that realm but then there are some originating from other places, like Doctor Whale back there."

"Then where is he from?" Rachel asked.

"Some other place", Hook answered with a shrug. "I've never been there."

"Before he came here during the first curse his name was Victor Frankenstein", David filled in as they walked out through the doors of the hospital.

"Seriously, I just let Doctor Frankenstein stitch up my head?" Rachel asked with a frown while Hook opened the door to David's truck for her. "That will be something to tell the grandkids."

"You have grandkids?" David asked and gave her a slight frown as she jumped in next to him, ending up in her being lodged between him and Hook.

"No, I'm only twenty-six", Rachel huffed. "Why would you think I had grandkids?"

"Well, I do", David answered and fired up the engine.

"Don't ask, love", Hook said from her right. "This family-tree is a little more complicated than we all would like."

* * *

David parked the car outside a small brick apartment complex. Rachel doubted it hosted more than four apartments, maybe less.

"Rachel?"

The familiar voice caused her to turn and grin when she noticed the trio standing out on the porch; Indira, Wolfgang and Filipi.

"Hello guys. Are the three hours up already?"

"Not exactly, but we went here with the Sheriff after an event at the Town Hall", Filipi answered. "Why are you with those two?"

"Adventure at the hospital", Rachel responded while David and Hook walked past them into the building. "Apparently I was stitched up by Doctor Frankenstein himself."

"We just had a ride here with the Evil Queen", Wolfgang countered. "Though I think you beat that card by travelling with Captain Hook."

"If you want him you can have him; his flirting is getting on my nerves", Rachel groaned as she held the door open for her friends, letting them walk inside. At the top of the stairs they found a group of Storybrooke residents exiting Apartment 3. One of them, a woman with short, black hair, was heavily pregnant.

"Who are they?" she asked as the four newcomers made their way up.

"Non-fairytale characters who were somehow affected by the curse as well", Sheriff Emma Swan answered, then frowned as she spotted Rachel. "But you I don't remember driving here."

"No, she came with us", David answered. "We had an incident at the hospital."

"What kind of incident?" another dark-haired woman asked.

"We found Little John", David explained. "He was injured so we brought him to the hospital, but then he... changed."

"He turned into a flying monkey", Hook filled in. The pregnant woman looked startled.

"People are being turned into flying monkeys?" she hissed.

"Yes", the pirate responded.

"Do you think that's what happened to the missing dwarves too?" the woman asked, nervously twisting a ring she carried on her left hand.

"Dwarves?" Indira asked. "Does that make you Snow White?"

"Mary Margaret", the woman answered.

"It's plausible, at least we haven't found any trace of them", David said, answering the previous question.

"And Neal?" Emma asked.

"No sign of him either", David responded, shaking his head. "So it's possible."

Emma looked away.

"Wouldn't be the first flying monkey I've dated", she muttered. Mary Margaret's eyes widened in surprise.

"The person who escaped our trap disappeared in a cloud of green smoke", the dark-haired woman Rachel still did not have a name for said, sounding thoughtful, "and now there are flying monkeys in this town? I think we know exactly who cursed us."

"Who, the Wicked Witch of the West?" Emma asked, sounding sarcastic. The look the dark-haired woman did however make the sarcasm vanish from her face, being replaced by utter surprise.

"Seriously? She's real too?"

"Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming", Hook pointed out.

"Wait, she's your daughter?" Rachel said, looking at David.

"Yes."

"But you're the same age. How could she be your daughter?"

"I'm placing my bet on magic", Wolfgang said. "Anyone want to take the wager?"

"If I didn't know the answer I would take you up on that", Hook answered.

"I don't get it", Indira said. "The whole Oz-story is connected to Kansas; we're in Maine. Why would the Wicked Witch want to come to Storybrooke?"

"I don't know", the dark-haired woman responded. "I never met her."

"What if you did during this missing year?" Mary Margaret suggested.

"Even if I did I can't see how she could possibly know about the curse and of Storybrooke", the woman answered.

"There's a whole year missing from our minds?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, if we're affected by the same curse that's what we're facing; a year of missing memories", Filipi responded.

"So... could we have actually been in the Enchanted Forest as well during that year?" Rachel continued. "If we were there when this new curse was cast it would kind of explain why we were affected as well."

"So you think the vortex at Ollivander's brought us to their land?" Indira asked.

"And then the curse hit us there and brought us here", Wolfgang filled in. "Sounds possible."

"But if you were affected as well you should have shown up at the same time as the rest of us", David pointed out. "You didn't."

"There is a possible reason for that", the dark-haired woman said. "If they used a different kind of magic against the oncoming curse they might have stalled it, or forced it to fight their magic before it could affect them."

"What kind of magic would that be?" Mary Margaret asked. "Can we use it as well?"

The woman shook her head.

"I don't know."

She eyed the four younger humans with a dark, piercing gaze.

"Would our wands count?" Filipi eventually asked.

"What wands?" Emma questioned.

"Ollivander wands", Rachel responded.

"You mean wands from _Harry Potter_?" Emma asked, then looked around at the others. "Is that real too?"

"Not that we know of", Mary Margaret answered.

"Not quite", the dark-haired woman countered. "Those books aren't real, but Ollivander is. He's responsible for making the fairy wands."

"I thought fairies made their own wands", Mary Margaret said with a frown.

"No, they need a wand-maker for that. Ollivander was the one they usually hired for the job, but he sometimes made wands out of other materials than what the fairies used. If you obtained some of those wands you might have been able to fight back the curse."

"So we need our wands", Wolfgang said. "Brilliant. Now if we could just find them again."

* * *

**So that's the batch for now! I'll post more chapters later on today :) Please read and review!**


	8. 7: Black Marble Castle

**Sorry I didn't post this yesterday! Got caught up in some other stuff.**

**This is another EF-chapter and, in case you're wondering about the story that Rachel wrote that the other characters are referring to, that story is **_**The Dark Ages**_**, my Harry Potter-fanfiction ;) Since it's based on (roughly) the same people I really wanted to make those references because when my friends started to read this at least the guy portraying Toby in both stories was freaking out about some similarities.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

_One Year Prior_

_The Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

"Well, this isn't too bad, is it?" Jade said, peering out from behind the curtain and then quickly pulled back as one of the flying monkeys passed outside the window of the room they were in.

"Could definitely have been better", Wolfgang answered, rubbing his wrist. He must have landed on it when the vortex dropped them off, but since he could move and flex his fingers he doubted it was worse than a sprain.

"We're missing most of our friends, we're somewhere we don't know and we've got flying monkeys on patrol outside the window", Toby said. "How could it not have been better?"

"On this one I agree with Toby", Rachel said. "Wherever that vortex brought us we're not here to have fun and relax, it would seem."

"Flying monkeys would place us in Oz, wouldn't it?" Arianne asked. "I mean, if Oz was a real place this could actually be it."

"I'm actually going to go ahead and say it's a real place", Filipi responded. "By the way, the monkeys are leaving."

"Leaving?" Wolfgang said, walking up to the window. "Where would they be heading? To destroy some random town?"

"Maybe", Rachel said and joined him, "or maybe something drew their attention."

"I vote for getting out of here while we can", Jade said.

"No", Toby said, vigorously shaking his head. "No, we're not going anywhere. Not this time. I don't want those stories to become a reality."

He glared at Rachel who huffed at him.

"Really, Toby? You're afraid the Huldra might come after you?"

"Let's face it, Rachel; this is just like one of your stories", Filipi said with a smile. "Toby's just playing his usual part of never moving out of his safe zone."

"Which is the logical thing to do", Toby pointed out. "This room is, as far as we know, safe while outside we have flying monkeys with sharp teeth and who knows what other creatures that might be lurking there."

"Well, I'm going", Wolfgang said and rose. "I'm done waiting around in here."

"No. No. Stop. _Petrificus Totalus_!"

Wolfgang hardly had time to hear Toby finish the spell before his arms and legs were locked to his sides and he fell onto his back, unable to move anything but his eyes.

"What the hell, Toby?" Jade exclaimed. Toby did not respond; instead he looked from Wolfgang to the wand in his hands and back again.

"It works?" Arianne asked, looking equally surprised.

"_Finite_", Rachel said, waving her own wand towards Wolfgang who instantly found himself capable of moving again.

"What was that for?" he angrily said when he got up on his feet again.

"It was the first thing that came to mind, really", Toby answered.

"But this means we have working wands", Filipi said. "We could actually defend ourselves."

"Or at least do a pretty good job at it", Jade filled in. "See, Toby; you have a weapon that you know how to use perfectly! Why should you linger back in this room when you have that?"

"For the same reasons I previously stated", Toby answered.

"Toby, I'm sorry, but the logical thing right now is not to wait for people to rescue us because they don't have a clue about where we are", Rachel pointed out. "Until we have means to communicate with some friendly possible rescuers we have to get going on our own."

Toby muttered something inaudible but eventually seemed to see the logic behind this reasoning as well and joined the group as they slowly made their way out of the room. This led them to a corridor built out of black marble, or at least a stone highly similar to that.

"So, which way do we go?" Jade asked. "Should we split up?"

"No splitting up", Toby quickly ordered.

"It's _not_ one of my stories, Toby", Rachel groaned.

"Well I'm not taking any risks."

"Alright", Wolfgang said. "No splitting up or Toby will start to panic. Let's go this way."

He brandished his wand and took the lead through the dark corridor. In his head he went over every possible spell and curse he could use against a possible opponent that might be lurking around the next corner. It was as if he had always been walking with a wand at the ready.

He peered around the corner and saw a dark shadow at the other end, but whoever it was he had seen the person was moving away from them.

"Come on", he whispered. The others followed him and together they aimed for the stairs at the far end. He did not bother mentioning that he had seen someone walking down there only moments before.

"Regina!"

The voice caused them to stop. It was male, had a British accent and came from somewhere to their right. There was another corridor not far ahead from where they were standing, leading them in that direction.

"No splitting up, right?" Wolfgang said, looking back at the others.

"Logically..." Toby begun.

"If you mention that word again I'll cast a silencing spell on you", Jade threatened. "Let's find out who needs our help."

"Your Gryffindor is showing, Jade", Wolfgang said with a grin, before they took off down the corridor. At the end they found a large set of open double doors and inside the well-kept bedchamber was a man, dressed in medieval styled clothes and holding a longbow in his left hand. At the moment he was desperately trying to move his feet, but they seemed to be glued to the floor, effectively rendering him incapable of moving. When he looked up and saw them standing there, however, he still drew an arrow and raised his bow.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked.

"You're seriously going to shoot us just because of that we came to see why you were shouting?" Wolfgang asked. The archer drew back the bowstring.

"I should warn you; my arrows never miss their mark", he said, his voice threatening.

"Really?" Jade asked. "You're like a Robin Hood-hero-person, then?"

The man frowned at her in surprise and lowered the bow.

"I _am_ Robin Hood", he responded. This caused the group in the door to stare at him in surprise.

"So we're not in Oz?" Arianne asked.

"You don't know where you are?" Robin asked.

"No, we were transported here by a green vortex", Rachel responded. "We assumed we were in Oz when we saw flying monkeys outside."

"No, you're not in Oz", Robin said, then tried once more, to yank his feet free. "Come on!"

"You need some help with that?" Jade asked. Robin looked up once more.

"Can you undo this spell?" he asked, frowning.

"Actually, Jade, we don't know which spell is responsible for gluing him to the floor", Toby pointed out. "Casting the wrong counter-spell might cause more harm than help."

"I was actually going to suggest you cast one", Jade responded. "You've probably got every single spell ever mentioned in even the shortest paragraph beneath all that hair."

Toby stared at her.

"It can't hurt to cast a spell like Finite", Rachel pointed out.

"Then why don't you?" Toby asked, turning towards her.

"Because you're the best one when it comes to spells."

"No, you're trying to get me into trouble."

"Fine, I'll do it!" Wolfgang groaned and flicked his wand. "_Finite Incantatem_!"

The spell on the outlaw's feet immediately lifted and he sighed in relief when he was able to move them again.

"Thank you", he said, then hurried past them into the corridor.

"Where are you going?" Jade asked as they turned and followed.

"I need to find the Queen before she goes through with her spell", Robin answered.

"Rewind; what Queen and what spell and where the hell are we?" Filipi asked.

"You're in the Dark Palace in the Enchanted Forest", Robin answered as he led them down the stairs. "The Queen is Queen Regina, formerly known as the Evil Queen. I came to aid her lower a shield cast by the Wicked Witch so that she could regain possession of her castle. At least, that's what I thought when we came here; seems she was planning all along to use a sleeping curse on herself once the shield is down."

They stepped off the staircase and Robin stopped, looking around.

"Do you know the way to the courtyard?" he asked.

"You mean you don't?" Arianne asked in return.

"I have never visited this castle before."

"Well, we're newcomers in this land, so I doubt we'll be much help in finding anything", Rachel pointed out. A cackling sound drew their attention and they looked out through the window, seeing a witch soar past on a broom.

"I assume that is the Wicked Witch", Toby breathed.

"Regina!" Robin shouted, taking off down the corridor.

"Has he got any idea where he's going?" Arianne asked.

"I highly doubt that, but I don't want to lose sight of him", Rachel responded as they all took off after him. The chase led them through a set of winding corridors and down another set of stairs before they suddenly found themselves standing in a courtyard, lit up by multiple torches. Close to the centre stood a woman clad in black who turned as they approached, looking both furious and surprised.

"How did you get out of that enchantment?" she asked Robin.

"I found some help, or rather they found me", he responded, glancing back at his companions. "Now, I can't let you go through with your plan."

"Don't worry", the woman answered. "I have to admit that you were right; the Sleeping Curse wasn't the answer."

She smiled at him.

"As you said I just needed to find something to live for."

Robin smiled tentatively at her.

"And you found it?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Something I haven't had in a very long time", the woman answered. The wicked smile on her face caused Robin's smile to disappear and caused the six others in the courtyard to tighten the grip on their wands.

"Someone to destroy."

"Alright, I can see why she's called the Evil Queen", Wolfgang said, drawing the woman's gaze.

"You haven't seen a thing yet, young man."


	9. 8: Brown-Haired Boys

**And we're back in Storybrooke!**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

When even Tessa had trouble eating the delicious sandwiches Hazel had bought at the diner across the street one knew something was wrong. Over and over again she glanced up at the clock on the wall, wondering where their friends had gone off to. What if something really bad had happened to them? What if that flying creature that had attacked Toby, Rachel and Filipi had returned?

"Papa?"

The small voice outside the door, accompanied by a knock, caused the members of the trio to look up. Tessa rose from the bed and walked over to the door, turning the knob and revealing a stout, bald man and, standing in front of him, a boy with dark hair who could not be more than five years old.

"My sincerest apologies; we must be in the wrong room", the man said.

"Is papa not here?" the little boy asked.

"No, I think he must be in another room", Tessa answered. "Don't worry, you'll find him."

"I always find him", the boy said with a proud smile. "He's not good at hide and seek."

"Are you, then?" Tessa asked and knelt down in front of him. The boy nodded.

"I always win."

"Well, then you haven't tried playing it with me yet. I bet I could beat you."

"You think?" the boy asked, his eyes wide. "Will you play with me now?"

"Weren't you looking for your father?"

"Yeah, but Tuck said he was sad and when papa is sad he won't play with me", the boy responded and pouted.

"Well, then, maybe your dad needs someone to cheer him up?" Tessa suggested. "Like you. Then we can play, alright?"

"It's alright, Roland", a new voice said, causing them all to turn. By the door leading in to another room stood a broad shouldered man wearing a chequered shirt. He had light brown hair on the verge of golden and, due to the fact that his sleeves were rolled up, a tattoo on his right wrist. He also spoke in a different accent than most of the others; a British one.

"Papa!" the little boy, Roland, exclaimed and ran up to the man, who swooped him up in his arms with a smile.

"There you go, you found me again", the man said.

"You are not good at hiding, papa", Roland said. The man smiled at him.

"I think you should teach me."

He then glanced over at Tessa, who now had been joined by Toby and Miranda in the door.

"I believe some of your friends can be found inside my room", he said. "They are busy arguing about what _TV-show_ to watch."

"How long have they been here?" Miranda asked with a frown. "They should have told us they were back."

The bald man, most likely the one called Tuck, stepped aside and allowed them to walk out into the narrow corridor and up to the man and his son. From inside his room they could hear two familiar voices.

"Jade, can't we watch something else?" Chris asked. "It's not fun watching a show you've already watched."

"Don't you find it hilarious that you're able to predict what the characters are going to do before they do it?" Jade responded.

"It was fun the first five times", Chris grumbled. "After thirty minutes of it you sort of get bored."

"You've been here for _thirty minutes_ and you didn't even consider coming to tell us about it?" Tessa exclaimed, causing both Chris and Jade to jump up from the floor.

"Hi guys", Jade said and grinned sheepishly. "Want to join us?"

"I should apologize for your friends staying in here without alerting you", the man said and put Roland down on the bed. "They were here because of me and the state I was in. Though I must say I have little knowledge about what they speak of they have managed to get me to cheer up a bit."

"This requires an explanation as to how you all met and what has happened", Toby said. "Also, where are the others?"

"Rachel went with Hook and David to some briefing of the situation", Chris answered. "Wolf, Indira and Fili went in the other direction of the street, so we haven't seen them since we left."

"What situation are you talking about?" Miranda asked.

"I knew we shouldn't have split up; I knew it", Toby muttered.

"Oh stop it; you cover a lot more ground if you split up", Jade argued.

"Perhaps we should discuss this outside", the man suggested. "Roland, I'll be right back. Tuck will stay with you while I talk to our new friends."

"Will you read me a story when you come back, papa?" Roland asked. The man smiled and bent to kiss his son on the brow.

"Of course."

They walked back out into the corridor and into the room that the newcomers had used as their headquarters. Jadewas the first to speak.

"Anyway, Rachel, Chris and I went to the hospital where we bumped into Hook, David and Mr Robin Hood here and then we saw Little John being turned into a flying monkey. So that was our adventure."

"A flying _what_?" Miranda, Tessa and Toby said at the same time.

"Monkey", Chris answered. "A flying monkey."

"But... that's impossible", Toby said with a frown. "Such things do not exist."

"You forget you're in a town filled with fairytale characters, mate", a voice from the door pointed out, causing them to turn around. Both Tessa and Miranda inhaled sharply at the dark-clad man's appearance; he certainly was dangerously handsome. He also had a hook instead of a left hand, which revealed his fairytale identity.

"Are we having another meeting in here?" he asked and stepped inside.

"What are you doing here?" Jade asked.

"I was simply escorting some of your friends back from our previous meeting", he said and waved back at the door. "Granted Swan came along as well; she's staying in a different room, after all."

"But if you accompanied our friends, where are they?" Toby asked.

"Still downstairs with Swan, probably checking some things for tomorrow", Hook answered.

"Why, what's happening tomorrow?" Tessa asked. Hook gave a crooked smile.

"Well, love, I think it's time we find the wicked thing behind this curse."

"Wicked", Toby said. "That's what I thought; flying monkeys were servants of the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Is that who we are facing?" Robin asked.

"It would seem so", Hook answered with a shrug, "unless you know any other villain capable of creating such creatures."

Robin's jaw tensed and he looked away from Hook's gaze, a movement that caused the pirate's features to soften somewhat as well.

"You're alright, mate?"

"Better", Robin answered. He still looked tense and Tessa felt the urge to give him a hug. However, before she could act on that urge steps were heard outside the room and Rachel, Indira, Wolfgang and Filipi appeared in the doorway.

"This is the last time we split up", Toby said. "Next time you lot disappear without any means of keeping touch I might have a heart attack!"

"Seriously?" Wolfgang asked. "Even a Ravenclaw should see the logic behind splitting up."

"This isn't one of my stories, Toby", Rachel pointed out, before her eyes stuck on Robin. "Are you alright?"

"Better", Robin said, repeating what he had previously told Hook. "How is your head?"

"Your _head_?" Miranda said. Rachel grimaced slightly.

"A minor cut caused by a fall against a shelf at the hospital. Nothing to worry about."

"Apparently she got stitched up by Doctor Frankenstein", Wolfgang said with a grin.

"Wait, the doctor at the hospital was Frankenstein?" Chris asked.

"How come he's here; Frankenstein is a novel, not a fairytale", Toby pointed out.

"Well, Robin Hood is a ballad and a legend, while Hook is from an early 20th century play", Rachel pointed out. "It would seem like anything goes, really."

"Including bits and pieces from _Harry Potter_", Indira filled in. "We spoke with the Mayor of this town, Regina Mills, and she believed that we might have actually become the owners of some real Ollivander wands."

"Real Ollivander wands?" Tessa asked.

"Yes, apparently Ollivander is a real person in the Enchanted Forest", Filipi explained. "He has made wands for all of the fairies, but it is believed he also creates wands that suite humans."

"Also these wands use a different kind of magic than all the other fairytale characters capable of using magic, so if we can find them we might be able to give the Wicked Witch a bit of a surprise", Indira said with a smile.

"Wait, this is all very confusing", Toby said. "What about our missing memories?"

"Everyone in this town has lost a year's worth of memories, Toby", Rachel answered, "and we suspect we might as well. Not just a couple of months as we first believed."

"We also believe that the vortex that brought us away from Orlando brought us to the Enchanted Forest to begin with", Filipi filled in, "and that we were brought here after spending a year there."

"So these scars and injuries we have we received in the Enchanted Forest?" Chris asked.

"Cool, I might have been in a battle, then", Jade said with a grin and rolled up her sleeve.

"That doesn't look like a battle-scar", Robin remarked. Hook sauntered over as well and nodded in agreement.

"He's right, love. That's not a scar originating from some weapon that could be used in a battle back in the Enchanted Forest."

"Damn it!" Jade exclaimed.

"Alright, let me see if I got this right", Toby said. "We met the real Ollivander in Orlando, received real, proper wands from him, were pulled into a vortex that caused us to end up in the Enchanted Forest, spent a year there and then ended up here thanks to the curse that is affecting the entire town."

"Yep, that's it", Wolfgang said.

"These wands you are talking about, do you still have them?" Robin asked.

"No, we must have lost them when the curse hit back in the Enchanted Forest", Filipi responded.

"However, Regina also mentioned that this might mean they were transported here _but_ might have ended up hidden somewhere due to that the Wicked Witch does not want us to use them", Rachel filled in.

"So our wands might be somewhere in Storybrooke?" Tessa gasped.

"They would certainly come in handy", Jade said. "Can we go look for them?"

"Look for them?" Toby said. "Apparently they _might_ be _somewhere_ in Storybrooke. We're looking for a set of wooden sticks in a _town_, Jade; it's worse than looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Not necessarily", Chris said. "You're the logical one, Toby; think about it. If you want to hide something that looks like simple wooden sticks, where do you hide them?"

Toby paused.

"The forest", he eventually answered.

"Exactly", Chris said with a grin. "I actually think we have an adventure in the forest to look forward to."

"Rachel, please tell me you're not writing this story!" Toby exclaimed.

* * *

**Just to be clear; remember that our new characters are from 2017 and have ended up in Storybrooke back in 2014. So that's why Chris and Jade were able to predict the events of various TV-shows; they'd seen them before ;)**


	10. 9: Clear Blue Skies

**OK, introductory chapters are done; time for some more bonding chapters. You'll understand why they're important later.**

* * *

_9 Months Prior_

_Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

After spending almost three months in the Enchanted Forest at least Rachel had started to feel at home. In a way it was like living in one of her own stories; she got to wear clothes that would be considered costumes back on Earth, she got to go horse riding every day, was able to wield magic and had started to become quite adept with the sword. Of course there were days when she wanted nothing but to go back home and live a normal life, but those were becoming fewer and fewer. Deep inside she knew that one day this would all end; she and the others would have to go back to Earth and live their ordinary lives, but at least that day had not come yet, and until it did she intended to live her life to the fullest in the Enchanted Forest.

Despite the threat of the Wicked Witch and the constant fear of her return they had managed to make a home for themselves in the Dark Palace. All of them, including those that had been rescued on the road by Snow White and Prince Charming, or David – Charming was the nickname Snow had given him during their first meeting and it had sort of stuck. No wonder, considering he was always a gentleman. She knew some of the others got a bit annoyed with his ways and preferred the cheeky glint in the eyes of Robin Hood to David's manners, but personally she preferred the company of the Prince. The outlaw also did not seem to enjoy her company too much, unlike how he enjoyed that of Chris and Tessa and Jade; something that might have to do with her mentioning at one point that archery was cheating since you did not have to face your opponent while killing or disarming them. It was not that he hated her, but in a way she guessed she had valued his skills as less important than for example David's.

The sun was shining when she headed out to the stables this morning and it made her hum some silly little tune while grooming the brown mare that she was set to ride.

"Oh, I didn't see you there."

Rachel looked up from grooming the mare's legs to find David standing outside the stall.

"Good morning to you too", she said and straightened. She thought he would be smiling at her like he always did when they met, or whenever he met anyone in the castle, but instead he was frowning.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, frowning as well.

"No, of course not", David responded and managed a hint of a smile.

"That frown says something else", she remarked, "but if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. It's not my job to pry."

David smiled once more and turned to walk away, but stopped and turned back.

"Are you about to go on a ride?" he asked.

"Yes, it's a lovely morning for one."

"Would you mind having some company?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was not a question she had expected to ever get from Prince Charming.

"No, not at all", she eventually answered.

They prepared their horses in silence and left the castle in the same manner. With every step the horses took Rachel found herself wondering why he had asked to come with her; it was not like they had spoken much in the castle or in any way acted unlike anything but allies in this dire situation. Had it been just because of that she happened to be in the stables when he arrived?

"So", she said when the silence had been pressing on for far too long, "is everything alright, sir?"

"Why are you addressing me in that way?" David asked with a frown.

"Well, you are a prince", Rachel pointed out. "There must be some sort of formal title that I absolutely must add to everything I say in order not to anger you... sir."

David smiled in amusement and shook his head.

"I wasn't always a prince", he said and looked forward. "In fact I have been a prince for a shorter time of my life than I have been anything else."

"That's a story I'd like to hear."

David smiled again.

"I was born as a twin in a very poor family", he begun. "After my birth Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One, came to my parents and said that they would be paid handsomely if they allowed one of us to be raised as the son of a barren king and queen. My parents accepted the deal and sent my twin brother, James. I stayed with my parents and was raised as a shepherd. In fact I did not even know I had a brother until I was already and adult and Rumplestiltskin came back to ask me to take his place as a prince."

"I can honestly say I did not expect that", Rachel admitted. "So you took your brother's place? Was that how you met Snow White?"

"Yes, but our story is quite long and complicated", David answered. "I was set to marry the daughter of King Midas when she robbed my carriage and, while trying to get the stolen goods back, I fell in love with her."

"To be honest that story is way more interesting than the one told back home about you two", Rachel said with a smile, "but maybe that's just me."

"What about you, then?" David asked and looked at her. "What were you doing before you found yourself tangled up in all of this?"

"I was a teacher", Sandra answered, "and a writer, though I haven't published any books yet. It's how I keep my sanity; I write down all of these crazy stories flying around in my head in order to be able to focus."

"Considering how well you work with horses I am also going to guess you're a rider", David said as they exited the forest they had previously been riding in. "Would you like to try and beat me?"

"You mean that we should race? Now?"

David smiled, before he turned his horse and with a sharp call and a press of his legs against the horse's sides caused it to break into a gallop.

"You bloody cheater!" Rachel yelled, before following suit. Her brown mare rushed forward and she kept her head down, her eyes watering from the speed. They closed in on David's white horse and, after calling out to her animal once again, found herself racing next to him. He grinned and urged his horse to go faster, but she kept up with him. The trees on the other side of the field approached fast and Rachel found herself wondering where their race should end. It was certainly not wise to continue through the forest at this speed; the horses could easily stumble and injure themselves. Thus the closer they came to the trees the more she straightened up and slowed her horse, allowing David to take the lead once again. He pulled his own horse to a trot and then to a stop right before the tree line, turning around to face her.

"You could have won", he remarked.

"Well, I didn't know where the race would end, and I certainly was not going to go galloping through the forest", she responded. He considered her response for a few moments before he nodded.

"You're right", he said and patted his horse on the neck. "I should not have acted so... irrationally."

"To be honest you looked like you needed it", Rachel answered. "Are you sure you're alright?"

David hesitated before he nodded.

"Yes, I'm..."

He fell silent again and his eyes became distant, looking in the direction of the castle.

"I don't know", he eventually responded. "I received some news this morning that should have made me happy, but instead... I don't know."

"That still does not explain why you wanted to come with me", Rachel pointed out.

"Well, no, it does not. In fact I do not know the answer to that myself."

She studied him in silence for a while. It was the first time she had seen him this conflicted, as if he wanted to tell her something but was not sure if he should or could.

"David", she said, using his first name for the first time, "I know we don't really know each other and that we probably look at things differently, but if you ever need someone to talk to, or take a ride with, or whatever it is you want to do, I'm here. Alright?"

He met her gaze once more and, for the first time that day, there was relief visible in those blue eyes of his.

"Thank you", he said and gave her a genuine smile. "We should probably head back; the others must be wondering where we are."

They let the horses walk back to the castle, but this time the silence between them was comfortable.

"Snow's pregnant", David said when they were grooming the horses. Rachel was about to express how happy she was for the two of them when she caught the look in his eyes.

"That was why you needed to leave, wasn't it?" she asked instead.

"Yeah."

She studied him as he once more focused on his horse.

"Well, like I said before; I'm here if you ever feel the need to talk, or just hang out."

"I appreciate that, Rachel. I really do."


	11. 10: Wicked Green

**I really need to put up these sort of reminders to post more of the finished chapters each day or I'll never be done with it...**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Due to that _Granny's Bed & Breakfast_ was a small place suddenly finding itself crowded with people who needed somewhere to sleep, the group of nine transported there last had to do with three rooms. Needless to say few of them got any sleep that night and thus when they met up in the morning in the same room they had used the day before (which during the night had been occupied by Filipi, Jade and Miranda) they all yawned and most of them had bloodshot eyes. Outside there was a fine layer of snow covering the ground; the temperature must have dropped during the night.

"Seems like the Witch has an advantage on us already", Wolfgang said and slumped back against the wall.

"What is it that we're going to do today, exactly?" Toby asked.

"Search for the wands", Chris answered.

"Figure out who the Wicked Witch is", Filipi filled in.

"Sleep", Jade grunted, her voice barely audible due to that her face was buried in a pillow.

"We have to split up, Toby", Indira said, noticing her friend's expression.

"I don't see why we should get involved in all of this when we don't even know what's going on", Toby responded. "Is it not better to let those with more knowledge of it all head out on these missions?"

"We also need to figure out where the rest of our friends are", Rachel said. "Considering that we appeared out of nowhere they should have done the same, meaning people should have seen them appearing. However, no one seems to know anything about their whereabouts."

Before anyone could respond to this statement a knock sounded on the door. Upon opening it their visitor was revealed to be Robin Hood.

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked.

"Well, as you mentioned yesterday you need to find your wands in order to be able to fight the Wicked Witch", the man said, smiling. "I am here to offer you my assistance, as a thank you for helping me last night."

Surprised glances were exchanged all through the room before Jade suddenly jumped off the bed.

"Finally something to do."

"I thought you said you wanted to sleep", Miranda said.

"If it's either sleep or going on an adventure with Robin Hood, I'll pick the latter option any day", Jade answered with a grin.

"Well, then I'm coming too", Chris said. "After all, we Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders."

"Hey, don't say that like you're the only one in this room!" Tessa exclaimed.

"Why don't you come along, then?" Chris said, grinning. Tessa gaped at him for a few moments before she groaned and rose.

"Fine. Fili, are you coming as well?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world", the Finnish girl answered. Robin looked amused.

"Anyone else?" Jade asked.

"No, I think that would be very troublesome for Robin", Rachel chuckled. "Go, find our wands and bring them back here."

"Yes ma'am", Chris said and saluted. Rachel rolled her eyes at him as the quartet plus Robin walked out of the room, leaving a much smaller group behind.

"And apparently I am not allowed to have a say in this matter", Toby muttered.

"Just because of that I wrote something a couple of years back where splitting up was the worst idea we could have ever had it does not mean it's going to be like that now", Rachel responded.

"Besides, walking around in a group of nine people is certainly going to attract a lot more attention than a smaller group of three, four or five", Indira filled in. Another knock on the door, but this time their guest let himself in; Hook.

"Time to get going, mates", he said, flashing a grin.

"Where?" Toby asked, sounding suspicious.

"Well, we need a strategy for finding the Wicked Witch, don't we?" Hook answered. "We're off to the Charmings right away and they requested you be there too, since you're involved in the search as well after what happened last night."

"Hear that, Toby?" Wolfgang said with a grin. "People want us to help. Now that's a sign we can't just sit around in here all day."

He rose and looked expectantly at Indira, who got up as well.

"Looks like the Gryffindors are on the case again", Wolfgang said with a grin. Hook's eyes stuck on Rachel.

"Not you today, love?" he asked.

"No, I'm staying here", she responded. "I should probably take it easy."

"And you two won't be coming, either?" Indira asked, looking at Miranda and Toby. The two of them both shook their heads.

"I guess we Ravenclaws are better off staying behind", Miranda said with a smile. "Just... try to keep in touch this time around."

"If we find a way to do that, we will", Indira promised. They walked out, Hook grinning at them one more time before closing the door. Once they were gone Rachel let out a deep sigh.

"If he calls me 'love' one more time I swear I'm going to punch him."

* * *

Accompanied by Hook and Emma, Wolfgang and Indira made it to the apartment belonging to Mary Margaret and David Nolan, aka Snow White and Prince Charming. The inside of their living quarters was not quite what they had expected; brick walls covered in either white paint or graffiti, old, mismatching furniture and wooden pillars going from the floor to the ceiling. It had an open room layout with no walls or doors and, as it lay at the top of the house, it had the advantage of a sleeping loft, which did not seem to be used as the couple's bed was placed behind the staircase leading up to said loft instead. At the moment the rest of the crew set on solving this mystery had gathered around the kitchen island, Mary Margaret being the only one sitting down thanks to her predicament. Hook sauntered up and leaned against the counter while Emma, Wolfgang and Indira placed themselves wherever there was room around the island.

"So, now that we know who we're dealing with, how do we find this Wicked Witch?" David asked.

"Might I suggest we start by asking if anyone's seen a woman with green skin running around?" Hook responded, smiling sarcastically.

"We're cursed in Storybrooke", Regina Mills pointed out. "She'll look like anyone of us."

"Damn it", Wolfgang muttered.

"We should start somewhere where we know she's been; Regina's office", Emma said.

"I went over it with a fine toothcomb; she left no trace", Regina argued.

"You were looking for magic; maybe there's physical evidence that you missed", Emma responded.

"Good idea; we'll track her", David agreed.

"If you want to waste your time playing Nancy Drew be my guest, but we can't let Henry wander around alone with that witch and her flying monkeys out there", Regina pointed out.

"Who's Henry?" Indira asked. Everyone around her, with the exception of Wolfgang, who was equally as clueless as she was, seemed to tense up.

"It's a complicated story, love", Hook eventually answered. "But he should probably not be running around out there as one of those monkeys could turn out to be his father."

Mary Margaret looked like she wanted to slap the pirate hard across his face.

"Point being", Regina said, "someone needs to protect Henry. He doesn't even know what's going on."

"I'm guessing you're volunteering?" Emma asked. Regina gave a hint of a nod and moved to leave.

"If you find anything, call me."

"Just remember; he thinks we're here because I'm on a case", Emma said, blocking her way. Regina smiled slightly.

"Well, look who's gotten good at lying."

"Just... as far as Henry knows, you're Madame Mayor, and that's it", Emma said. She was fidgeting with a knitted hat.

"I'm well aware of how Henry sees me", Regina answered, her voice sharp. Emma nodded and moved aside, allowing Regina to leave.

"Time's wasting", Hook said after the Mayor had left. "There's something wicked in your town; what do you say we go and find it?"


	12. 11: Red Holly Berry

"So, these wands you're looking for, what do they look like?" Robin asked while scanning the forest floor.

"Like sticks, really", Chris answered, "but with a carved-out handle that might sometimes have patterns. Like my handle has this criss-cross pattern all over it."

"They will definitely not be easy to find", Tessa said and picked up a stick from the ground, waving it around. "Nope, no magic there."

"We can't go around testing every single stick in the forest", Filipi pointed out. "There's got to be some other way to find them."

"Well, what are they made of?" Robin asked. "What type of tree?"

"That depends on the wand", Chris answered. "According to what we have read about Ollivander every type of tree has certain magical abilities. Some are suitable for healing, some for curses, some for duels, some for cooking..."

"Maybe not the last one", Jade interrupted. "But the others I agree with."

"Mine for example is made of Acacia", Tessa explained. "It's a loyal type of wood, so no one else but me can use the wand."

"While mine is Holly, a wand suited for someone engaged in a dangerous quest", Chris filled in.

"Well, I do not know of the Acacia, but Holly I have seen in this forest", Robin said, looking at Chris. "It is highly possible that we will find at least your wand there; where better to hide a wand made of wood than with its own tree?"

"Wait", Jade suddenly said. She was standing on top of a boulder, obviously trying to spy something among the trees. The tone of her voice caused the others to tense.

"What is it?" Filipi eventually asked. Jade jumped down from the stone and gazed upwards. There was the ominous sound of wings sounding above the treetops, causing them all to huddle down and hide behind a set of bushes.

"Am I the only one who thinks they're on patrol?" Jade asked as a black shadow passed them without noticing that it was being observed.

"There's something close by that it does not want us to find", Robin agreed. "Do you know what anyone else's wand is made of?"

"I don't know which wand that belongs to who, but I know there are some made of Oak, Alder and Black Walnut", Chris answered.

"There are Alder-trees growing close to where we are", Robin said, glancing up at the sky. "Come, this way."

* * *

In daylight the splendour of the Mayor's office became clear to both Indira and Wolfgang, however the fact that glass vials of various shapes, colours and sizes were spread out across it somehow made it less intimidating. David took charge of investigating the vials close by the conference table together with Indira, while Hook, Emma and Wolfgang checked the desk and scanned the marble floor for possible traces.

"Why did she wreck all of this in the first place?" Indira asked.

"We were trying to make a memory-potion", Emma answered. "All in hopes of bringing people's memories of the lost year back."

"Yeah, that might have been a good idea", Wolfgang agreed, picking up one of the files from the desk.

"So, how did the Wicked Witch know about it?" Indira asked, ignoring her friend.

"We spread the rumour that we were about to succeed", Emma answered, trying to find fingerprints on the window. "Regina had sealed the room with a blood lock, so we did not think the one behind all of this would be able to escape."

"But blood locks are extremely powerful", Indira argued. "I don't know the exact nature of them, but I believe they can only be broken by someone who shares the same DNA, the same genes."

"Regina is an only child", David answered and rose from his kneeling position, "and her parents are both dead. Whoever this Wicked Witch is she must have managed to break the lock by some other means."

His gaze fell on something on the floor, close to where they believed the Wicked Witch had disappeared the night before.

"We have a partial footprint", he said and knelt down to the red spot. It had probably not been spotted before due to being so small and not being placed on a white section of the marble.

"Is that blood?" Emma asked, frowning as she walked up to the man who appeared to be her father. David knelt once more, sticking his finger in the red stain and then smelling it.

"It's a berry", he said, sounding slightly surprised.

"A fruit?" Wolfgang asked. "Why would the Wicked Witch bring a fruit along?"

"No, it's a Holly berry", David answered and rose. "They grow on bushes..."

"Were you... some sort of botanist in this life, mate?" Hook asked.

"I worked in an animal shelter; saw dogs crack them all the time", David responded, ignoring the tone of the pirate's voice. "The bushes grow in the woods."

"Do you know where?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, northwest corner, not far from the Toll Bridge", David answered. His phone suddenly beeped and he reached into his pocket to take it out, flipping it open and reading the message he had received. It made him frown and look from the screen to the small berry in his other hand.

"Is everything okay?" Indira asked.

"Yeah, just... Mary Margaret needs me to come back to the loft", David said, his eyes still on the phone. "We're... getting a midwife and she wants to meet with both of us, so..."

"A bit demanding isn't she?" Hook said. Both Emma and Indira turned towards him with angry glares.

"I meant the midwife", Hook quickly pointed out. Neither of the women seemed to fully believe him, but allowed the subject to drop. For now. David turned towards Emma with a conflicted look in his eyes.

"It's fine", she said. "Go."

"But... we just got on track here, I mean..."

"And I've got it covered", Emma said with a smile. "She needs you."

David looked down at his phone again, trying to come up with a valuable excuse.

"Just meet us when you're done", Indira suggested. David glanced up from the phone, then down again, fidgeting with the device for a few moments before placing it back in his pocket. He looked up once more, seemed to be about to say something but then shook his head and turned, walking out of the office.

"So, we're off to this Toll Bridge place?" Wolfgang asked, putting the folder he had been flipping through back on the desk.

"Yeah, I think that would be the next step", Emma answered. "Unless anyone's found anything else?"

"Other than an austere sense of design; nothing", Hook answered with a grin. Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"Let's get going", she said. "The sooner we find out who this Wicked Witch is the better."

* * *

They decided to walk to the Toll Bridge, an old bridge in the forest at the outskirts of the town. The four of them then started to scan the area for the bushes David had mentioned growing nearby. It did not take them too long to find several of them growing along an old hiking trail. Hook grabbed the bushes with his hook and shook some berries onto the ground before stepping on them.

"You'll look for any excuse to use that thing, won't you?" Emma said, sounding annoyed.

"Just to know we're in the right place", Hook answered, nodding at the berries on the ground to confirm that they, indeed, looked like what they had found in the Mayor's office.

"What now?" Wolfgang asked.

"Now we start searching", Emma answered. Hook suddenly met Indira's gaze and in his eyes she saw a silent plea; a plea that she and Wolfgang would leave him alone with Emma for a while.

"We'll take the lead", she therefore offered, grabbing Wolfgang's arm and dragging him up the trail.

"What the hell was that for?" Wolfgang hissed as they continued.

"Just giving them some privacy", Indira answered, releasing his arm once they had turned a corner of the winding trail. They could still hear their two companions, but now they had to strain their ears in order to catch exactly what they were talking about.

"Privacy?" Wolfgang asked as she knelt down to seemingly inspect the ground. "You think those two are..."

"Well, Hook's certainly got something going for her", Indira answered, keeping her voice low, "and they've been sort of tense around one another, so I figured we'd let them talk a bit without having us around."

Just then Emma came walking towards them, not even sparing them a glance as she walked by.

"Looks like that worked out well", Wolfgang muttered before following her. Indira rose from the ground just as Hook joined her.

"Thanks", he said. He sounded sad and did not meet her gaze.

"I don't know what you said to her, but you're welcome", she responded.

"How come you're helping me?" he asked.

"While Clarissa isn't here I guess I have to play matchmaker", Indira mused, before her smile dropped.

"Is she one of your missing friends?"

"Yeah", Indira sighed. "I just... we should have found them by now. The nine of us all showed up yesterday, at roughly the same time. Why didn't they?"

Hook gave her a hint of his usual grin.

"Don't worry, love", he said. "We'll find them."

* * *

Once they had exited the forest they found themselves facing a steep, snow-covered hill. It was a strange feeling to suddenly have snow beneath your feet when it had all but melted away in the forest they had been walking through earlier. Emma took the lead, still not having said a thing since her conversation with Hook.

At the top of the hill they found a small, white farmhouse with light green details.

"You have to appreciate the irony", Wolfgang said, referring to the farmhouse in the story that had crushed the Wicked Witch's sister. Slowly they made their way up to the house and passed the barbed wire fence. Emma was the first to make it onto the porch and snuck up to peer in through the windows.

"There's definitely someone living here", she whispered. "It's empty right now, though."

"Why are we whispering?" Hook asked, also lowering his voice.

"I was wondering the same thing", Wolfgang agreed.

"Because good hide-outs always _look_ empty", Emma answered and started to carefully walk around the house. "Trust me, I've spent a lifetime tracking down people who don't want to be found. I know about hiding out."

She peered around the corner momentarily before leaning back against the wall again, a movement that the others were quick to follow.

"There's a bike standing there", she said.

"Does it mean anything?" Indira asked. "Is she still here or..."

"I don't know", Emma answered, shaking her head. "I..."

She paused, her eyes sticking to something out in the field outside the barbed wire fence.

"A storm cellar."

"Oh, the irony", Wolfgang muttered. The others pointedly ignored him as they made their way down the porch and across the lawn. Indira looked back at the clear footprints they were leaving, feeling uneasy. Their visit would not go unnoticed, even if the Wicked Witch was not here right now.

The entrance to the storm cellar itself was a small square concrete block with a metal door and a black pipe made for providing those locked inside with air. Although now the door was not locked from the inside; it was locked from the outside with a heavy padlock. Indira was about to suggest that they just leave, because if the door was locked from the outside someone could not be on the inside, but then she realized that the person they were dealing with was the actual Wicked Witch of the West. Locking a door in this manner would probably not be too hard to do.

Emma pulled out her gun, readying herself for shooting the padlock to pieces in order to break into the cellar.

"Woah, wait", Hook said, placing his hook on her arm. "It's one thing walking around a deserted farmhouse, quite another thing to descend into a one-way cellar with no other way out."

Emma smiled in amusement, but lowered her weapon.

"Scared?" she teased. Hook sighed.

"There's a difference between fear and strategy", he pointed out. "We know she's got these flying monstrosities; who knows what's down there?"

"I agree", Indira said. "If this witch is as powerful as we think we could use some back-up."

"Magical back-up", Wolfgang filled in.

"Unless you've been practicing in New York City", Hook finished off, looking at Emma.

"Wait, you can do magic, too?" Wolfgang asked.

"A little, but not enough for this", Emma sighed and pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Regina, have her drop Henry at _Granny's_. Let's see if those flying monstrosities can get passed her crossbow."

"Granny's got a crossbow?" Wolfgang gasped.

"You know, a little less excitement about every single thing we reveal about ourselves might do you good, mate", Hook pointed out. Emma suddenly frowned.

"There's a voice message from David", she said, pressing the screen.

"Emma, it's David", the voice said through the speakers. "I'm at the trail now and I think I found her; the Wicked Witch. I'm going after her."


	13. 12: White Moss

**Back to the Enchanted Forest again!**

* * *

_7 Months Prior_

_Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

"Guys, look what I found!"

The others gathered in the library of the Dark Palace looked up. Clarissa was grinning from ear to ear as she marched up to the table and placed the heavy volume on it.

"Guess what this is."

"A Ravenclaw's bedtime story?" Wolfgang suggested.

"No", Clarissa said, shaking her head, "this is the ultimate lexicon about fairy wands, and take a look at this."

She flipped the book open, causing another thud, and spun it around for them to read. Catriona, who was sitting closest to where the book had been dropped, leaned forward.

"Ollivander, the maker of the finest fairy wands, was banished from the land after being found selling wands adapted to a new way of magic, centred around oral spells and made for humans", she read.

"Let me have a look at that", Toby said, pulling the book to him and re-reading the line Catriona had just read.

"So in this world he is real, which means it might actually have been him that we met back in Orlando", Maryse said.

"Yes, question is how we find him again", Toby said and pushed the book away. "This book is quite old and he was banished before it was even written. It is highly possible we won't find him anywhere we look."

The doors opened and Rachel came in, dressed as she always was nowadays in riding gear and with a sword attached to her belt. Miranda wondered if she knew how different she had really acted since they got here or if she was busy living the life of one of her own stories' characters.

"Have you found anything?" she asked and removed her cloak as she sat down.

"Ollivander was banished for selling wands to humans", Clarissa responded. "He could be anywhere."

"I can ask David if they can send out word about him", Rachel suggested. "Someone's got to know something."

"If he has stayed hidden this long I doubt word of any kind of royalty would make him appear again", Indira pointed out.

"And when did you and Prince Charming start to talk about each other on a first-name basis?" **Brianne** asked. Rachel blinked in surprise.

"I agree; for the last two months you've been spending basically every waking hour with him", Miranda said. "What is going on?"

"It's not my place to tell", Rachel responded, her voice sharp. "He's my friend."

"And we're not?" Filipi asked. "Face it, Rachel; you've changed since you got here."

"And none of you have?" Rachel bit back, rising again. "Just listen to yourselves! Why am I suddenly the one who's odd?"

"Because you're hanging out with a married man more than you hang out with us", **Brook** responded. Rachel blinked at her.

"Is that what you all think is going on?"

When no one answered she grabbed her cloak once more, fastening it around her neck.

"Well then, thank you for your time", she said, her tone colder than ice, before she spun around and marched out of the library. Miranda bit her lower lip and nervously fingered the quill in front of her, before she rose and followed her friend.

Outside the door, however, she bumped into a man; Robin Hood.

"Apologies, my lady", he said. "I did not hear you coming."

"No, no, it's my fault, really", Miranda answered with a smile. "Where you heading to the library?"

"Actually I was trying to find Rachel", the outlaw responded.

"She just left", Miranda responded, then frowned. "Why were you trying to find her? I thought you two weren't that close."

"Well, I doubt we are, but she is close to someone else; Prince Charming", Robin answered, "and he left the castle not long ago to venture into Sherwood Forest."

"Did he ask you to tell Rachel about it?" Miranda asked. Robin shook his head.

"No, in fact I think he hoped I would not. However, I feel that she might be needed during his quest."

"And this quest is what?" Miranda asked. Robin gave her a slight smile.

"Now that is for him to tell", he said. "If you find Rachel, will you please tell her what has happened?"

"Sure", Miranda answered, then watched as the thief disappeared down the corridor. She, however, headed in the opposite direction; aiming for the courtyard. After living in the castle for nearly five months she and the others knew their way around the dark corridors perfectly and if there was one place Rachel would seek out to vent her anger it was the training grounds, located between the courtyard and the stables.

As she closed in on said place she could hear that she had been right as the sound of a sword hitting a training doll rang time and time again.

"Rachel", Miranda said as her friend took a step back. She did not turn around.

"Why are you here?" she instead responded, her voice still cold as ice.

"I'm sorry", Miranda responded. "It was not right of us to attack you that way, but please; look at it from our point of view. How do you think we're feeling every time you go off with Prince Charming instead of help us investigate why we are even here?"

Rachel kept her back towards her, but something in her posture told Miranda that she was not ignoring what she had just said.

"It's complicated", Rachel eventually responded and walked over to the nearby bench, picking up a cloth to wipe her face with. "David and I have sort of bonded and he's in a bit of a situation right now, so I've offered to help him through it. I did not mean to abandon you guys."

"I know", Miranda said. Rachel looked up at her and a hint of a smile was playing on her lips.

"You really thought I was having an affair with him?"

"Well, you did act suspicious", Miranda responded. Rachel shook her head with a smile.

"I can assure you that's not the case", she said. "He's a married man, he has a daughter and a grandson and a baby on the way. If there's one thing I won't do it's break up someone's family."

Miranda nodded.

"There's another thing as well", she said and stepped forward. "Robin Hood told me that Prince Charming had left the castle not long ago, to venture into Sherwood Forest."

Rachel frowned.

"Why would he do that?"

"Robin wouldn't say", Miranda answered. "He did, however, say that even though Charming did not ask for you to come along, you probably should."

"Well, if even Robin Hood asks me to head after him then I probably should", Rachel sighed and sheathed her sword. "Coming?"

Miranda frowned.

"Do you want me to come along?"

"Call it gut feeling, but I think you'll be needed as well", Rachel responded as she headed towards the stables. Miranda was about to protest before she realized how futile it would be. Besides, she quite liked the idea of having at least one adventure here before they managed to get back home.

* * *

As Miranda was not as good at riding as Rachel was they opted for riding the same horse, with Miranda wrapping her arms around Rachel's waist in order not to slide off. From studying the maps in the castle they knew that Sherwood Forest, Robin's home, was located south of the castle, but nowhere near as close as they would have liked. By the time they spotted the forest the sun was already dipping beneath the horizon, covering the land in darkness.

"How are we going to find him in the night?" Miranda asked, yelling in order to make herself heard.

"I don't know", Rachel answered, "but I'm certainly not going to let that stop me."

"When did you become a Gryffindor?"

"Well, maybe this land has brought out that side of me", Rachel answered, before urging the horse to go faster.

As they neared the forest they could see a well-made, wide road entering it. Not wanting to risk her horse's health Rachel aimed for it while the night surrounded them. Except it was not all dark.

"Look!" Miranda said, pointing to their left. Rachel whipped her head around and slowed the horse. Among the trees, not that far from the road, was a burning torch, stuck down in the ground. Close by was a white horse tied to a tree.

"I can see his horse but not him", Rachel said as they jumped off and walked on a narrow path to where the torch was standing.

"He can't be far, right?" Miranda said and looked around them. Rachel shook her head before she tied her horse next to Prince Charming's white one.

"What was he doing here, though?" she said and knelt down. The torch was stuck down close to a patch of white moss and, in the middle of this moss, was a hole that someone had recently dug out.

"Maybe this", Miranda said and picked up something that looked like a root, only when she turned it around they both saw that the top of it had been cut off, revealing a very peculiar looking flesh.

"That looks like... stars", Rachel said with a frown. "What is that?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to guess it's something magical", Miranda answered. A rustle among the trees caused them both to look up. The two horses snorted and trampled around.

"Woah, it's alright", Rachel tried to calm them.

"What was that?" Miranda asked. Her friend shook her head.

"I don't know, but it came from that direction."

She drew her sword and pointed it at a thick hedge of spruces.

"David's moved past them", she said as they drew closer, pointing out a number of freshly cut branches, "so there's definitely something on the other side."

"And you're just going to head straight towards it?" Miranda asked. Rachel turned to meet her gaze.

"My friends are my family, Miranda; you know that", she said, "and I would die to protect my family."

"Then I'm coming with you", Miranda said. Rachel shook her head.

"No, you should stay with the horses."

"With you going all Gryffindor while we're here, you might need some Ravenclaw to get you out of this situation", Miranda pointed out, smiling. This caused Rachel to smile back, before she led the way through the spruces.

Once they got out on the other side they stopped dead in their tracks, staring at what lay ahead. They were standing in a small clearing and at the centre lay a tower built out of stones. From a window at the top of this tower spilled a long, black braid of hair that reached almost all the way to the ground and climbing up this braid at this very moment was someone clad in a grey, hooded cloak.

"This is not what I was expecting to find", Rachel admitted.

"Did we _ever_ expect to find Rapunzel's tower?" Miranda asked in return.

"Probably not."


	14. 13: Grey Shadow of Fear

**This is one of the longest chapters (so far) in the story, so enjoy!**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Since they did not want to be holed up in the room all day, Toby, Miranda and Rachel had decided to head over to _Granny's Diner_. It was a lively place where people originating from all possible fairytales came and went, the seven dwarves from _Snow White_ being some of the more regular guests. The waitress behind the counter whom Miranda had spoken to the night before, Ruby, had been Red Riding Hood back in the Enchanted Forest and ran the diner together with her grandmother, a stern old lady who certainly did not trust just anyone. They also became acquainted with another waitress, Ashley; the Storybrooke-counterpart of Cinderella.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Ruby said with a smile as she sat down with the trio.

"A little bit, yes", Miranda answered. "Though somehow I'm not as uneasy at seeing real fairytale characters in earthly clothes as I thought I would be."

"If you were with us in the Enchanted Forest that might be a reason behind it", Ruby pointed out, looking around the diner. "Emma will find an answer for all of this, though. She always does."

"Why is that?" Toby asked.

"Because she's the Saviour", Ruby answered. "When the Queen cursed us the first time, about thirty years ago, Rumplestiltskin, also known as the Dark One, predicted that the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming would be the one to break the curse, but in order to do that she had to be sent away. So when Emma was a newborn baby in the Enchanted Forest, right when the curse struck, Charming brought her to a magic wardrobe and sent her away to this world. Almost thirty years later she came here and broke the curse."

"How did she come here?" Miranda asked.

"Henry found her", Ruby answered.

"Henry?" Rachel asked with a frown. "Who's that?"

"Emma's biological son", Ruby responded, "and Regina's adopted son. Emma gave him up at birth and Regina adopted him. Henry figured out everything that was going on here through a book with our true stories and also realized that he had to bring Emma here, so he sought her out. Of course she did not believe him at first, but she still stayed and eventually she became the Sheriff."

"Then where is he now?" Miranda asked. "Shouldn't he be here as well?"

Ruby looked pained.

"He is. He's just... not aware of what is happening. In order to protect him Regina removed his memories of this place before we went back to the Enchanted Forest. She did the same for Emma, so they both believed they had lived together and that Emma had never given him up. They've stayed in New York for the past year; that's where Hook found them and provided Emma with a memory potion. So she remembers all of this but..."

"Henry doesn't", Miranda filled in and sighed. "Poor Regina."

"Is there a bathroom I can use?" Rachel suddenly asked. "All these cups of tea are starting to make themselves known."

"Yeah, sure; just head in through that door", Ruby responded with a smile and pointed at a door at the back of the diner. Rachel smiled back and rose, grabbing her jacket as she went. Just as the door closed Toby turned towards the two others sitting in the booth.

"Why would she need her jacket if she's heading to the bathroom?" he inquired. Miranda's eyes widened.

"Oh no."

As one the three of them rose and walked in through the door, finding the entrance to the ladies' bathroom unlocked. Instead they heard the diner's backdoor close behind the next corner of the corridor.

"Blast it!" Toby muttered. "Never trust a writer."

* * *

"So where are you heading?"

David looked up with a start, finding Rachel standing on the other side of his car.

"When did you get here?" he asked.

"Just now", she answered. "I saw you from the window at _Granny's_."

"And somehow you assumed you could just join me, wherever I'm going?" David retorted. Rachel gave him a hint of a smile before opening the door of his truck. It caused him to groan, but he also found himself not arguing with her. Instead he climbed in behind the wheel and fired up the engine.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Rachel asked once they had left _Granny's_ behind them.

"The Toll Bridge", he responded. "We believe the Wicked Witch's hideout is near that place; she left a Holly berry behind at Regina's office and they only grow around there."

"Sounds like a good place to start", Rachel agreed. In the corner of his eye he saw her frown slightly at him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, of course", he responded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"That frown says something else", she remarked, "but if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. It's not my job to pry."

At this he actually turned briefly towards her, his frown deepening. He could swear he had heard someone say that before.

"Alright, now you're looking at me like I'm some ghost from the past", Rachel pointed out.

"I'm... that thing you just said, it just sounded so... familiar."

"Subconscious memory, perhaps", Rachel said with a shrug. "Whatever this spell is that is keeping us from remembering events happening during the past year it can't keep away possible _déjà vu_ feelings."

"Yeah, maybe that's it", David responded, focusing on the road once more. They had left the town and were now driving through the forest. As the sky had become clouded the forest surrounding them had taken on a gloomy tone.

"You should not have come with me", he eventually said. "It's not even been a day since you had your head stitched up."

"I'm fine", Rachel responded. "The doctor said it wasn't a deep cut, which means the only reason he stitched it was to speed up the healing process. Besides, staying at _Granny's_ all day would have made me beyond uneasy. An unnatural trait for a Ravenclaw, I suspect."

"A Ravenclaw?" David asked, frowning at her again.

"That's sort of how me and my friends met", Rachel explained. "We're fans of the _Harry Potter_-series and we all belong to a certain house, defined in this series by a set of traits. Gryffindors are brave, Hufflepuffs are loyal, Slytherins are ambitious and Ravenclaws are logical."

"So you define yourself by a set of traits from a book?"

"Says Prince Charming", she pointed out. "And no, we do not define ourselves by those traits only. Which is why I might not be the typical Ravenclaw; I act impulsively from time to time, which is more of a Gryffindor trait. Toby would certainly not do things like this."

He nodded, not sure what response he should give to this explanation. Luckily he did not have to consider it as he found they were nearing the bridge. He pulled the car to a stop.

"Rachel, I know the doctor said you should be fine, but I still think you should stay behind", he pointed out. "This could be dangerous."

"Do you really think..."

She paused, her eyes stuck on the rear-view mirror.

"Did you see that?" she asked. He tensed at once and looked at the object. All he could see was the gloomy forest.

"See what?"

She hesitated, then shook her head.

"I thought I saw something, but maybe it was just the forest playing tricks on me."

He still frowned.

"Stay in the car", he ordered and stepped out, grabbing his sword as he did. When he had closed the door he locked it, something she immediately noticed.

"What the..."

"Stay in the car", he repeated.

"You bloody cheater", she hissed as she tried to open the door. He ignored her and walked over to the trail, finding the bushes with their red berries at once. They were in the right place.

* * *

Rachel let out multiple curses as she tried to open the door to the truck. He was good, she had to admit that; whatever it was she had seen had distracted her long enough for him to force her into staying put. She pulled at the plug in the door in order to try to force it up, but it was jammed.

A rustling of leaves outside caused her to freeze in her movements and slowly turn around. David was moving down the trail next to the road, his steps determined, but there was one thing he had missed; a strange shadow was following him, flitting from place to place as it closed in on its prey. Her breath hitched and she looked around the car for a way out. The truck was old, she realized, and in order to open the windows you had to roll them down manually. The handle on her door was broken, which meant that if she would get out through the window she had to use the one by the driver's seat and thus turn her back on whatever was happening on the trail.

She looked up and saw that David has stopped, his eyes scanning the forest around him. He had felt that something was wrong, or maybe he had heard something she had not. It still caused her to crawl over to his side of the car and start to turn the handle. Slowly the window moved downwards and she growled at the pace. As she looked up she could see the shadow, which now looked more like a human in a cloak, was leaning out from behind a tree, peering it David. The look on his face told her that he had also seen it this time around. It flitted in behind the tree, vanished and then appeared behind another, closer to where he stood. The window was halfway down. She could see David reach into his pocket, taking out his phone and, while still keeping an eye on the strange shadow, dialled a number he obviously knew by heart.

"Emma, it's David", she heard him say. "I'm at the trail now and I think I found her; the Wicked Witch. I'm going after her."

He put his phone back in his pocket and raised his sword, slowly moving towards the tree. She gritted her teeth at the window; a few more turns and she should be able to make it out without any problems. Of course she had never tried to escape a locked car this way before, but she really had no choice.

She could hear the low thud of David's sword hitting the tree trunk and looked up.

"Behind you!" she yelled, noticing the shadow had moved once again. He immediately spun around to face his opponent just as she began to pull herself out through the window. With her back to the events proceeding at the trail she had no idea of what was going on, but she could hear the sound of someone hitting a tree. She gritted her teeth and moved to get her leg out of the car. This certainly was not as easy as some might make it look.

She tumbled to the ground, feeling the asphalt scraping her palms and causing her to hiss in pain, but at least she was now out. Pain could wait. She looked up and saw the cloaked being standing over David's unmoving body.

"Hey!" she yelled, causing it to look up. The face beneath the hood was shrouded in darkness.

"Leave him alone", she ordered. The next moment David rose, turned and plunged his sword into his opponent's chest. Nothing happened and his eyes widened. The strange creature then grabbed him by the neck and hoisted him up into the air as if he was lighter than a feather.

"Let him go!" Rachel yelled and rushed forward. She hit the strange being from the side, sending the two of them crashing to the forest floor while David went the other way, sword still in one hand as he gasped for air. Upon hitting the ground the hood fell away and Rachel, straddling the creature, hissed in surprise as beneath the hood was an all too familiar face.

"David?"

The creature grinned manically, before tossing her aside. She sat up, shaking her head to get the world to stop spinning. David was staring at his twin, who, in turn, stared down at him, his glare triumphant.

"Who are you?" David asked, scrambling to his feet. The cloaked twin smiled.

"I am you."

He drew a sword, identical to David's, and flicked it in the same manner.

"You're going to defeat me?" the twin said, still smiling in that wicked way of his. His voice was deeper than David's and seemed to echo, giving away that whatever he was it was not something natural.

"Well, don't let your fears hide the stench", the twin continued. "The stench of a scared shepherd boy who strayed too far from his farm."

David gritted his teeth.

"I'm not scared of anything."

He moved to attack, but his opponent parried, able to estimate every move he would make. The twin laughed as they moved to circle each other and Rachel could see that David's eyes were wide with the fear he said he did not feel.

"Well, if that was true, I wouldn't be here", the twin said with a wicked smile. David attacked again, but the twin grabbed him by his arms and forced him down on the ground, proving once again that he was the stronger one. Then, with one swift move, he cut David's sword into pieces.

"Don't you see?" the twin said. "Your fear makes you weak."

"No", David said and shook his head. "I'm not afraid."

"Saying so doesn't make you fearless."

"I will die to protect my family", David argued.

"Everyone's afraid", Rachel suddenly said, causing both of them to turn towards her. She had managed to pull herself upright with the help of a tree.

"Everyone's afraid", she repeated, her voice somewhat stronger than before. "Bravery comes from facing that fear, from admitting it."

"Cute little thing, isn't she?" the twin said with a smile, causing both Rachel and David to frown. The next moment he was in front of her, pressing her against the tree, his hand tightening around her neck. She struggled to push him away as she felt the air supply to her lungs being cut off. The twin smiled. Behind him David roared and moved to strike his twin with the broken hilt of his sword, but the twin grabbed him with his free hand and pressed him against the tree as well.

"Give in", the twin said with a smile. "It's easier."

David glanced at Rachel, noticing how blue her lips were starting to look. If he did not do anything now she would die and he could not allow that. Then, when he looked past her, he saw a familiar yellow bug coming down the road. Emma.

"I am afraid", he managed to croak out. "I'm afraid I won't be a good father, but I won't let that stop me. Not now."

With those words he plunged the hilt into the chest of his twin and, unlike the last time he had scored a hit, the twin looked stunned and released their throats. He then stumbled back and, as he did, dissolved into nothing. As his hilt fell to the ground in front of him he allowed himself to fall down on all fours, breathing heavily. Rachel had collapsed on the ground next to him, drawing deep, shuddering breaths with her eyes closed.

"Are you alright?" he said, squeezing her shoulder. She nodded and managed to open her eyes.

"I will be. Thank you."

He managed a slight smile before he reached out to grab the hilt of his sword. Just as his fingers were about to touch it, it vanished in a puff of green smoke.

* * *

**Will post more later (unless I forget... again)**


	15. 14: Blood Red Stones

**Haha, didn't forget it this time around! Another batch of chapters coming your way, people!**

* * *

_7 Months Prior_

_Rapunzel's Tower, Sherwood Forest_

The grey-clad hooded figure seemed to flit in and out of focus as it climbed up the black braid of hair. Up in the window someone was leaning out and, considering this person was holding a sword, Miranda guessed it might be Charming. His eyes were glued to the figure approaching him. Suddenly, something pulled him back.

"I should never have called on you", a female voice said. "I know what she wants; if you leave now maybe she'll spare you."

"No", Prince Charming's voice responded. "That's not how this works; I'm getting you back to your family."

"Please, she'll kill you! You can't save me; there's nothing you can do."

"They do not know we're here yet", Rachel said, eying the figure moving up the tower. "None of them do; we might be able to distract her."

"How?" Miranda asked. Rachel met her gaze momentarily again before she jumped out of the bushes.

"Hey! Hey, you!"

The shape stopped moving and turned its hidden face down. It had almost reached the window.

"Get away from them", Rachel ordered, flicking her sword. The shape cocked its head slightly before it continued its climb. Miranda could only stare as Rachel sheathed her sword and rushed over to the tower, grabbing onto the ivy growing at its bottom to pull herself up. She had just grabbed onto the black braid when Prince Charming once again appeared in the window, bringing his sword down to strike the grey shape.

Except it had now vanished. Miranda blinked in surprise; one moment the hooded figure had been right beneath the window, the next it was gone. Rachel also seemed to notice that something was happening and looked up.

"David, look out!" she shouted just as the figure jumped down from the tower's roof and swung itself in through the window. There was a loud crash as Prince Charming was knocked aside by the strange being.

"Rachel, get down from there!" Miranda called, stepping out of the bushes.

"No, I can't leave him", Rachel responded.

"Did you not see what that thing just did?" Miranda yelled. "How do you expect to defeat her?"

Rachel hesitated; she was halfway up the braid and now looked down at her friend.

"I never expected to get out of this adventure alive", she solemnly answered. "My characters never do, so why would I?"

Miranda's eyes widened in surprise and Rachel took this opportunity to keep climbing.

"You're not a character, Rachel", Miranda called. "You're not someone you created for a story; you're you."

"In this world we're all stories, Miranda", Rachel responded. Voices once again spilled from the tower above them.

"Hey!" Prince Charming yelled. "Get away from her!"

"I am her", a dark, echoing female voice responded, not too unlike the one that had spoken earlier.

"Rapunzel", Charming said after a pause, "it's not a witch; it's you. You said she appeared after you had the night root. You thought it didn't work, but it did! The root allows you to overcome your fears by facing them!"

"I can't", the first female voice said, sounding utterly terrified. "Please, help me."

"She's your fear!" Charming called. "Only you can defeat her! You have to face her, Rapunzel; you must!"

There was a pause before a ripping sound was heard along with a roar from the same prince. The next moment he and the grey-cloaked being tumbled out through the window.

"Rachel, look out!" Miranda screamed, but her friend hardly had time to raise her head before the two others hit her, sending her falling.

"Rachel!" Charming yelled and tried to grab her as he caught onto the ivy, but his fingers missed her and she crashed onto the ground, the air going out of her lungs in one loud gasp before she fell back and closed her eyes.

"Rachel!" Miranda screamed, at the same time as Charming repeated her name. He looked conflicted, wanting to help his friend as well as rescue the princess up in the tower. When Miranda rushed forward, however, he decided to focus his attention upwards. The grey-cloaked being had begun to climb again, fast and agile.

"Listen to me!" Miranda heard him call as she reached Rachel. "Your fear was that you could never be a leader, like your parents, like your brother."

As she closed in on her friend Miranda noticed that the ground she was lying on was uneven, causing her to lie in a strange position. The stones beneath her were already covered in blood.

"Own it and you can do this", Charming continued above her head. She dared to look up and saw Rapunzel looking down on them.

"No, I can't!" she cried.

"Yes, you can!" Charming called. "Cut it away, let it go! If you do you can finally have what you want; you can leave this tower!"

"I don't want to leave!" Rapunzel said. The cloaked shape was climbing faster. Miranda quickly looked away from them and grabbed Rachel, turning her over. Her back had gone red and sticky and where she had landed was a sharp-edged stone that had cut into her back, leaving a deep wound.

"I understand; believe me, I do", Charming said above her head. "You're frightened of an unknown future and it makes you feel safe here. But if you don't face that future, Rapunzel, you will die here, alone! Is that what you want?"

"No!" Rapunzel responded. Miranda pulled out her wand and tried to remember a spell that could heal gashes like the one now present on Rachel's back, but all she could remember was the one meant to heal minor fractures. She could feel the panic closing in on her.

"You know what you have to do!" she heard Charming yell, probably aimed towards Rapunzel but it could just as well have been for her. "Do it!"

She did not dare to look up at him, or Rapunzel, or the creature climbing the wall. All she could see was the blood, and therefore the life, flowing out of Rachel. In the _Harry Potter_-books she remembered that Snape had used some sort of spell to heal wounds caused by the spell Sectumsempra. However, in this dire situation she could not remember the words of it.

"_Vulnera Sanentur_", she suddenly heard a voice chant not far behind her, causing her to look up. Someone was approaching them, wearing a thick, brown coat and pointing a wand at Rachel's injured back.

"_Vulnera Sanentur_", the person, a female, repeated. The sound of a sword clinking against the stone caused Miranda to look up. Rapunzel had cut off her braid with Charming's sword and the hooded figure was sent falling down with it. When it had almost reached the ground it dissolved into nothing. Charming, who had followed the falling braid with his gaze, finally looked down at them again, worry reappearing in his eyes as he saw Rachel's lifeless form.

"_Vulnera Sanentur_", the unknown person repeated. The deep wound was closing and the blood was slowly clearing away. The spell was working.

"I... did it", a surprised Rapunzel said from the top of the tower, causing them to look up. Just then Rachel drew a deep, shuddering breath and started coughing, grimacing at the pain in her back.

"Is she alright?" Charming called. Miranda smiled through the tears.

"She'll be fine", she called back. Her gaze then locked onto the person who had performed the healing spell.

"Who are you?"

The person raised her hands and pulled back the hood of her coat, revealing a the face of a woman wearing earthly glasses and having short, brown hair with a fringe. Miranda's eyes widened.

"Ella?"

"I thought I recognized your voice", the other woman said, before Miranda rose and embraced her.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you", she whispered.

"I think I should say the same", Ella said and gave her a hint of a smile.

* * *

While Prince Charming climbed back up the tower to help Rapunzel get down, the two friends busied themselves by making a bier for Rachel.

"How did you even get here?" Miranda asked.

"I was on my way to Orlando to surprise you guys", Ella responded, "and then the pilot started shouting about the plane crashing. The next moment I was falling through a green vortex thing and found myself in this forest, with a fully functioning wand in my hand."

"How long have you been out here?" Miranda asked. Ella leaned back on her heels.

"Three months, maybe?" she eventually said. "I befriended some villagers living nearby and they told me where I was, basically, and helped me with food."

"I'm glad you came when you did", Miranda said. "I don't know what I would've done otherwise."

Ella gave her a brief smile before levitating Rachel onto the bier. At the same moment Charming came down from the tower together with Rapunzel. The princess, dark-skinned with black hair, looked up at her former imprisonment in wonder while Charming knelt next to Rachel.

"How did you two find me?" he asked, looking up at Miranda.

"Robin Hood alerted us of where you'd be", she responded, "and Rachel would not let you go alone, and I came with her."

"She could have died", he said, looking down at his friend.

"She didn't", Ella said, "and she probably learnt her lesson from this. Hopefully."

Charming huffed; he did not believe her.

"I'll go get the horses", he said and rose.

"I'll come with you", Ella offered. Charming eyed her for a while before he nodded, leading the way between the spruces.

"I'm sorry about your friend", Rapunzel said, looking at Miranda.

"She'll be fine", Miranda responded. "Why did you end up in that tower?"

"I didn't think I could be a ruler, like the one my brother would have been, if he had not died because of me", Rapunzel responded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The princess swallowed and nodded, determined not to flee her past anymore.

"I was swimming in the river", she said, "where I shouldn't have been, the one our parents had always told us to avoid. I got caught in the wrack and my brother dove in after me. He saved me, but... but couldn't save himself."

Tears were shining in her eyes and Miranda felt the need to hug her.

"I'm sorry."

"I ran away, because I didn't think I could be queen", Rapunzel continued after swallowing down her tears, "and if I didn't know, how could my parents believe in me?"

"It's who you are", Miranda answered. "You can't hide from it forever, or from them."

"Do you think they'll forgive me?" the princess asked. Miranda smiled and stepped up to her, grasping her hands.

"You're their child, their precious daughter", she said. "Of course they'll forgive you."

Rapunzel slowly managed to smile back.

"Now, do you want to return with all of this hair or should we cut off some of it?" Miranda asked.

"I doubt it'll be easy to ride with all of this", Rapunzel said, looking at what remained of her braid, which was still an impressive length of hair. Miranda pulled out her wand once again.

"Well, just tell me which length you want it to be in and I'll cut it for you."

"With magic?" Rapunzel asked, obviously wary of it after her ordeal.

"Not the usual type of magic", Miranda answered. "Ollivander's magic. It won't harm you, I promise."

Rapunzel slowly nodded and pointed halfway down her back. Miranda slowly cut the braid and untangled what was left, brushing out the black curls with the help of her wand.

"There", she said with a smile. "Now you can ride."

At that moment Prince Charming and Ella returned with the horses. Using their wands Miranda and Ella were able to attach the bier to the horses' saddles. With Rapunzel seated behind Charming and Ella sitting up behind Miranda they then started to make their way out of the forest, unknowing of what was lurking in the bushes close to the tower and now flew off to alert its mistress.


	16. 15: Golden Straws

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

While Emma parked the car over by the road David slowly sat back, trying to calm his breathing. His head was reeling due to the recent events; the strange twin he had been fighting and the fact that his sword had disappeared. Well, not entirely; the blade that his shadow twin had cut off still lay on the ground, but the hilt had vanished.

"David", Emma said as she hurried up to him and Rachel, who still lay on the ground, "are you okay?"

He nodded and grasped Rachel's arm, helping her sit up as well. Her neck was bruised and her hands bloody; not until now did he realize that she must have climbed out of his car in order to help him and had probably fallen on the asphalt in the process. Regina, Hook, Indira and Wolfgang approached them as well.

"Well, where is she?" Regina asked, looking around.

"It wasn't her", David sighed and rose, Rachel leaning against him.

"Then who was it?" Hook asked. "You two look whiter than fresh sails."

"Myself", David responded.

"Come again?" Wolfgang and Hook said at the same time, then looked at each other in surprise as they realized what they had done.

"It's the Witch", Regina said. "She's toying with us."

"Did you guys find where she might be hiding?" David asked.

"There's a farmhouse nearby that we think is hers", Indira answered and moved to relieve David from Rachel's weight. To his surprise he found his grip on the girl next to him tightening; he did not want to let go. He was in charge of keeping her safe.

The next moment he wondered why he could possibly think that and why he would not let some of her friends help out, which caused him to let go and allow Rachel to lean against Indira instead.

"Then let's end this", he said, looking at Regina. "Let's send that Witch back to Oz."

* * *

"Any sign of the monkey?" Filipi asked.

"None, at least not now", Chris answered. "Have you found anything?"

"Well, it's an Alder tree, alright", Robin responded. "Question now is if we were right."

He knelt down next to the tree in question, scouring the area close to its roots. Jade soon joined him, something he was grateful for as she had a much better knowledge of what they were looking for than he did. Also, in case the monkey appeared he had to be able to get up and fire a shot at it from the crossbow he had brought along.

"Look", Jade suddenly said. "Beneath that root, in the hollow close to the trunk."

He looked in the direction she was pointing, but at first he could not understand what she was referring to. The hollow she was inclining towards was filled with old leaves that had blown there during the winter.

"Oh come on, you're Robin Hood!" Jade groaned. "Don't tell me you're blind."

She reached forward and brushed the leaves away, revealing a set of sticks bound together by a rope. The fact that these sticks had carefully carved out handles was what gave their true nature away.

"Wands", he said, finding himself grinning as Jade pulled them out. Once she did she revealed a second bundle beneath them, which she was quick to grab as well.

"Looks like we got them all at once", she said with a wide smile.

"At a good time, too", Chris said and jumped down from his stone. "The monkey's coming back."

Sure enough; there was the ominous sound of large wings beating up in the air, closer and closer to the set of Alder trees they had found. Robin quickly tossed the leaves back into the hollow before leading his four companions to safety.

"Do you think she'll find out we've found them?" Tessa asked as they found a safe hide-out.

"I don't know", Robin answered, "but you've got a way to defend yourselves now."

"Well, maybe not", Jade said. The others turned towards her.

"Seems like the ropes binding them together are enchanted", the youngest girl answered. "We're going to have to look for a way to untie them in order to actually be able to use them."

"There's another thing as well", Chris remarked. "Counting those of us who are still missing the total amount of wands should be fourteen, yet in these two bunches we have fifteen."

* * *

"You could have gotten yourself killed", Indira remarked while supporting her friend. Rachel's legs still felt like boiled spaghetti.

"Could you have stood by and just allowed him to be attacked?" she asked.

"No, but this isn't like you", Indira responded.

"Agreed", Rachel responded. "It's not how I usually act around people I barely know."

Indira frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"We've lost a year of our lives", Rachel responded, "and who knows what might have happened during that time? Most likely we met some of those people we have now met as well and became close with them."

"And you think you became close with him, Prince Charming, or David?" Indira asked.

"It's the only explanation to why I'm acting like he's one of my closest friends", Rachel responded. "Subconsciously I must know that I know him."

"Any particular reason she would send a demon that pretends to look like you?" she heard Hook ask up ahead.

"No idea", David answered. "It was just there, wearing my face, harping on my deepest fears..."

Regina stopped dead in her tracks.

"It knew your deepest fears?" she asked, causing the others to stop as well and allowing Indira and Rachel to catch up. While they stood still Rachel experimentally tried to stand without supporting herself on her friend.

"Yeah, things I never told anyone, even Mary Margaret", David responded to Regina's question. Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"It wasn't until I admitted them that I was able to defeat it by stabbing it with the hilt of my sword", David continued.

"Where is it?" Regina quickly asked. "Your sword, that is."

"Well, that's the strange part", David admitted. "After I killed it the hilt... it disappeared."

"What's that mean, then?" Wolfgang asked.

"When we face our deepest fears our true courage comes out", Regina explained. "When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears, your courage transferred into it."

"Then why did it disappear?" Rachel asked, managing to stand on her own two feet again.

"It didn't disappear", Regina responded. "_She_ took it."

"Hang on", Emma said. "The Wicked Witch _stole_ his courage?"

"Well, a symbol of it at least", Regina responded, "and symbols can be powerful totems."

"But... courage, that has something to do with the Oz-story", Indira pointed out.

"Yes, it's what the Lion seeks from the wizard", Rachel responded. "The Scarecrow wants a brain and the Tin Man wants a heart."

"Do you think she might be after those two other things as well?" Emma asked.

"It's possible", Regina admitted, "though I cannot see what good it will do to her."

"We just have to send her back before she gets all three", Wolfgang said.

They trudged on, following the trail out of the forest and up the hill.

"Hey", David suddenly said, falling into step besides Rachel, "did you mean what you said before, to Indira?"

"About us possibly being friends back in the Enchanted Forest?" Rachel asked in return. "Yes, I did. I am not someone who finds friends easily, so when I do I stick to them and I protect them just as I would protect my family. My reactions to both the events at the hospital yesterday and what occurred earlier points towards that explanation."

David smiled slightly.

"Well, it would seem you haven't lost your Ravenclaw identity after all", he joked.

"I do not mean to", she responded with a smile of her own.

The farmhouse, located up on a snow covered hill, was surrounded by a barbed wire fence, but outside this fence lay the entrance to a storm cellar. That was where Emma, Hook, Indira and Wolfgang were leading them. However, as they closed in on the door the quartet stopped.

"That lock", Emma said, "it wasn't busted before."

Rachel looked at the broken padlock that had obviously been securing the door, before she felt David push her back. A glance from him told her to stay back while they secured the place. In the corner of her eye she saw Emma drawing her gun and Hook his sword, while Indira and Wolfgang also stepped back as they were unarmed. If even Gryffindors did that maybe it was a good idea for her to follow suit.

David grabbed the handle to the door while Emma readied her weapon.

"Ready?" she asked, looking around. The others nodded and David opened the door with Emma quickly pointing her gun at whatever might be waiting for them down the steep stairs.

Nothing happened.

"So far, so good", Hook remarked.

"Stay alert", Emma ordered before slowly descending down the stairs. "Come on."

A gush of dry air from the inside made Rachel shiver and as she looked over at Wolfgang and Indira she could see them reacting the same.

"There's definitely dark magic here", Regina said as she climbed in after Emma and David. Hook glanced at the three others, giving them permission to head into the cellar before him. As they descended down the stairs the goosebumps on their arms made themselves known again.

When they reached the bottom of the basement they found themselves standing in a small, square room with concrete walls. Half of the room was, however, occupied by a large cage. The lock on the cage's door was busted, just like the lock upstairs.

"Can you feel it?" Regina continued, referring to her comment about dark magic.

"I don't know", Emma answered. "Maybe. Whatever I feel it's not good."

"What would the Wicked Witch keep in a cage?" Indira asked. "Monkeys?"

"No, not monkeys", David responded, reaching up into the ceiling and turning on a single light bulb hanging there. As the cellar was suddenly bathing in light they found themselves looking at an object standing in the centre of the cage; a spinning wheel. David reached down and picked something up off the floor. It had the shape of a straw but the colour was entirely wrong; not yellow, but shimmering like some sort of metal.

"Now, how many people do we know that can spin straw into gold?" David asked.

"Rumplestiltskin", Emma whispered, staring at the item in shock.

"Who's Rumplestilt..." Wolfgang begun, but suddenly found himself falling backwards as the wall he had been aiming to lean against fell away, revealing another cage hidden behind an illusion. This cage, however, was inhabited, although its inhabitants were currently asleep or unconscious.

"Oh my God", Indira whispered. "It's them. It's our friends."

One of the inhabitants of the cage stirred and gave a muffled cry against the gag in her mouth when she noticed them.

"Someone get the door open", Rachel said, prompting Regina to move forward and, with a flick of her wrist, busted the lock. Wolfgang, Indira and Rachel immediately moved in and loosened the bonds and gags tying their friends down. A blonde girl flung her arms around Indira's neck.

"Thank God you found us", she cried.

"How did you all get here?" Wolfgang asked while helping the only male inhabitant of the cage get free. "What happened?"

"Don't know", the other boy answered. "One moment we're at Ollivander's in Orlando, the next we wake up in this cage, bound and tied down."

"How long have you been here?" Indira asked.

"Don't know, it's been dark the whole time", another girl answered.

"Hey!" Rachel suddenly shouted. She had moved further into the cage to the only one of its inhabitants that had not woken up.

"What is it?" David asked, moving in as well.

"I need some light, has anyone got a torch?" she responded.

"Yes, I usually do walk around with one in my pocket", Wolfgang sarcastically responded. Regina then followed David into the cage and created a fireball in her hand, causing the prisoners to move away from her.

"What have you found?" she asked.

"It's Ella", Rachel answered.

"But... she wasn't with us in Orlando", Indira remarked. "How come she turned up here as well as we did?"

"Don't know, but she's not waking up", Rachel answered.

"Any bite marks?" David asked. "We don't want another monkey incident."

"Not that I can see", Rachel responded. "There's something else going on. We need to get her to a hospital."


	17. 16: Brown Cocoa in the Morning

**So now we have all of the new characters present in Storybrooke, although Ella's not doing too well, it seems. Wondering what's up with that...**

* * *

After finding their friends in the Witch's storm cellar the atmosphere in the group certainly changed. If there was one thing no one would allow it was someone hurting a fellow admin, as they called themselves.

Doctor Whale, the counterpart of Doctor Frankenstein, checked up on all the newcomers when they brought them in at the hospital that night, with no incidents occurring like the one with Little John.

"They're bruised and need to rest, but otherwise they're fine", the doctor told the others when he had finished his examination.

"What about Ella?" Miranda asked. Whale sighed and shook his head.

"I'm not sure. She appears to be in a coma, which was how David Nolan spent his first twenty-eight years here due to being mortally wounded when the curse hit back in the Enchanted Forest. It is possible something similar has happened to her."

"But she will wake up, right?" Tessa asked. "She's not... you know... she's going to wake up, won't she?"  
Whale gave them a hint of a smile.

"We'll do everything we can."

He led the way into the closed-off area that they had been given. With the exception of Ella the other five that had been rescued – Maryse, Arianne, Rowan, Clarissa and Catriona – were all up on their feet, enigmatically discussing what had happened. After her ordeal on the hiking trail Whale had insisted that Rachel should be hospitalized for at least a day as well, just to make sure that she would not suffer from the near-death experience. Her neck was covered in bruises and both of her hands were bandaged.

"Maybe this will teach me not to convert to a Gryffindor, huh?" she said with a lopsided smile.

"Well, if I can be a Slytherclaw, then you can be a Gryffinclaw", Clarissa pointed out and sat down on the side of the older girl's bed.

"What do we do now?" Chris asked.

"We get some sleep and then we can figure out a plan that does not involve people nearly being killed", Toby responded.

"Good luck with that in this town", Jade chimed in.

* * *

Early the next morning the phone on the table close to the door vibrated. It was Emma's old phone, which she had dug up so that they would have at least some means of communicating. All of their phones must have been lost in the vortex bringing them to the Enchanted Forest or sometime during their possible adventures there. Indira, having slept on a mattress close by, reached up and plucked the phone from the table, reading the message.

"They're having a meeting at _Granny's Diner_ in thirty minutes", she said as the others woke up as well.

"Who are _they_?" Rowan asked.

"Well, the text is from David, so I'm guessing him, Mary Margaret and Emma, probably Regina, and since Emma will be there I'm also including Hook", Indira responded.

"No, we were supposed to stay here and plan", Toby pointed out. "Not rush off on some new adventure without..."

"I'm guessing you're volunteering", Wolfgang interrupted, causing Toby to stare at him.

"What? I..."

"Good, so Toby's going to _Granny's_", Rachel said, trying to hide her amused smile. "Anyone else?"

"We could go", Maryse said, inclining towards herself and Arianne.

"And I'll go as well", Indira finished off and rose. "Four should be quite enough for this meeting."

With Toby still gaping like a goldfish and trying his best to form a coherent sentence the three girls pulled him out of the hospital room and in the direction of _Granny's_. They met Emma Swan on the doorstep, quickly introducing her to Arianne and Maryse before being let in by Granny. The diner was filled with the smell of breakfast; bacon, scrambled eggs, freshly brewed coffee and bread roasting in the oven.

"If you want privacy, talk fast", Granny remarked as she locked the door behind them again. "We open in twenty and no one gets between Leroy and his bacon."

As the newcomers looked around they could see that Indira had been right in her guess of who might be there; David was standing at the back, Mary Margaret was sitting on one of the high chairs by the counter, Regina has placed herself by one of the tables in the middle, and before they came in Hook had been leaning against the doorframe. He now straightened up and walked further into the room.

"Any sign of our quarry?" he asked.

"I went over that farmhouse and the land around it, but nothing", Emma responded, seating herself by the counter as well.

"You spent the whole night out there?" Indira asked, looking at the Sheriff.

"Well, as much as I could", Emma responded and gratefully accepted a cup of hot cocoa sprinkled with cinnamon from Granny.

"Now that the sun's up we should check every place Gold might go; his house, shop, cabin..." David suggested, walking over to Mary Margaret.

"Yes, cause dead men certainly love vacation homes", Emma replied.

"Who's Gold?" Maryse inquired.

"The name Rumplestiltskin used in this world", Regina responded. "In this town he is known as Mr Gold."

"Can someone explain to me how this is even possible?" Emma asked. "We all saw Gold, he..."

"Disappeared into nothingness, I know", Mary Margaret filled in.

"So the guy we guess escaped from the other cage in the Witch's cellar is a man you all thought was dead?" Indira asked.

"Yeah, but I might have an inkling about what is going on", Hook responded, looking thoughtful. "When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back."

"What, how?" David asked, with a frown.

"Who's Neal?" Arianne asked.

"Gold's son", Regina responded, her tone short, signalling she thought they were interrupting Hook's story.

"He didn't know how, he just..."

The pirate paused in his answer and looked at Emma, his face changing from thoughtful to sad.

"He missed his family", he finished. Emma quickly looked away, her expression also sad.

"He was desperate to find a way to this world", Hook continued, "and he believed that bringing his father back was the key."

"Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong", Emma said. "Gold might be alive and kicking but Neal... he's... we don't know what he is. We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke; no one's seen him since this new curse."

"He's out there somewhere", David promised.

"With all due respect we have bigger issues right now than _who_ brought Gold back", Regina pointed out. "The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch's basement for one, and I want to know what the hell she was cooking up with him. And since none of her other prisoners were aware of what was going on..."

She turned to look at Arianne and Maryse, who squirmed slightly under the intensity of the Mayor's gaze.

"Well, the best way to find that out would be to ask Gold, right?" Mary Margaret said.

"He could tell us who the Witch is, maybe how to track her down", David agreed. Regina rose.

"I'm going to head back to that farmhouse", she said. "It's possible this Witch left behind some trace of potion or a special ingredient."

Emma gave her a slight smile.

"Have at it", she agreed. "Just be careful."

Regina looked amused.

"Well, she's the one who needs to be careful", she said as she pulled on her gloves. "She invaded my space; when I return the favour, I'm not pulling any punches."

She then walked out of the diner, head held high and heels tapping the floor.

"Shouldn't anyone else go with her?" Arianne asked.

"Regina knows how to handle things like this", Mary Margaret responded. "If she had wanted someone to come with her she would have said so."

"What about the rest of us then; what's the plan?" Indira asked.

"We should head over to his shop, talk to Belle about all of this", David responded.

"Belle?" Maryse asked. "You mean Belle from _Beauty & the Beast_?"

"Yes", Emma answered. "She and Gold were lovers and if anyone knows the answers to how he could have come back to life, it's her."


	18. 17: Sea-Green Eyes

**Just thought I'd let you guys know that I am posting links to these on my tumblr, _doorinthegrove_ (link on my page), and you're all free to reblog if you want to help spread notion of it to more people so more can read it ;)**

* * *

In a corner close to the end of the town's main street lay a wooden, two-story house painted in a matte turquoise colour. Above the door to the house hung a sign; _Mr Gold, Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer_. A bell chimed as they entered and, almost immediately, a short, brown-haired woman appeared from a room in the back. She stopped at once when she saw them.

"Emma", she said, acknowledging the presence of the Sheriff, "have you found something?"

It occurred to Toby that, unlike most of the other fairytale characters they had met so far, this woman spoke in a distinctly Australian accent.

"Belle, can we talk, in the back?" Emma asked. The brown-haired woman nodded and walked back in behind the counter, leading the way to what seemed to be a storage room, filled with items from far and wide, along with a ton of books.

"Did you find her?" Belle asked, sitting down on a chair next to a desk.

"We found where she might be hiding, yes", Emma answered, "but that's not all. In a storm cellar next to her house we... we found a cage."

Belle frowned.

"A cage? For what?"

Emma looked at David who, in turn, pulled out what looked like a straw but shone like pure gold. He handed it to Belle, who stared at it in utter surprise.

"Rumple", she whispered. "He's alive? How is that even possible?"

"We were hoping you might be able to tell us that", Emma answered. Belle looked up at her.

"You know him and this shop better than anyone", Emma clarified. "If he's in Storybrooke there has to be a clue somewhere as to how he got back or how we can find him now that he is."

Belle nodded.

"Yeah, I'll... I'll start looking right away."

"We can help you", Arianne suggested. "I'm Arianne and this is Maryse, by the way."

"Thank you", Belle said with a smile.

"Keep your eyes out for him too", David suggested. "If he comes into town..."

"He'll come to me", Belle filled in. "I know."

Toby hesitated, wondering if he should stay as well. It certainly seemed like the better idea to help run some research in a shop than run out in search for the Wicked Witch.

"I will stay here with you", Hook suddenly said, sounding less than excited about it. Belle turned towards him with a surprised stare.

"I'm surprisingly good at research", the pirate continued.

"You will stay with me?" Belle questioned. Hook gave her a smile, which looked extremely goofy considering he, at the same time, raised his eyebrows.

"He'll protect you if the Witch comes", Emma said.

"Do you know he tried to kill me?" Belle asked, turning towards the Sheriff again.

"Well, there were extenuating circumstances", Hook argued. Belle rolled her eyes before turning back towards him with a knowing smile.

"Twice", she pointed out. Hook paused before trying his best puppy-face.

"Sorry?"

"You really know how to charm a girl, don't you?" Indira said. Hook gave up on his facial expression and leaned back again.

"Alright, then this will be my way of making it up to you", he said, giving Belle another goofy smile. The brown-haired woman did not look at all amused.

"Fine", she still agreed after considering the offer.

"Alright, well, we should head out into the woods", Emma said, moving to rise from her chair. Mary Margaret did the same, but David reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe you should stay home", he suggested. The pregnant woman frowned at him.

"Me?" she asked. "But I'm the best tracker here!"

"I know, but we'll manage", David responded. "Remember what Zelena said; you need your rest."

"I can stay here with you", Toby found himself saying. "Or I can help you get home and then get back here and help with research."

"Well, look who's volunteering", Maryse said with a smile.

"Thank you", Mary Margaret still said. Emma smiled slightly as well before she cleared her throat and walked up to Belle.

"Belle", she said, "thank you for your help. Don't worry; we're going to find him."

"Okay", Belle said with a smile. "Thank you."

With that Emma, David and Indira disappeared out from the room. The door to the shop opened, causing the bell to chime as they walked out again.

"Well, we should get going, then", Mary Margaret said, rising from the chair. Toby nodded, still not sure why he had offered to take her home. She was Snow White; even in her state she would be perfectly capable to get from this place to her apartment without him walking with her. And what could he do if they were attacked?

He remained silent during their walk to the small apartment complex Mary Margaret and David lived in.

"Well, looks like we made it in one piece", Mary Margaret said as they walked inside the apartment. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, I should probably head back to the store and help with the research", Toby answered. Mary Margaret suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Please, stay. At least until Zelena gets here."

"Who's Zelena?" he asked.

"Our midwife", Mary Margaret answered. "I have to call her and ask her to come here; I'm starting to freak out."

"About what?"

She moved to pick up the phone from the table and dialled a number.

"I haven't felt the baby move in a while", she answered. "That shouldn't happen, should it?"

"I... I don't know."

He watched as she waited for whoever she was calling to pick up the phone and then listened as she begged that person to come over. All the while an unpleasant feeling started to make itself known inside him; something was wrong and he should know what, but somehow he did not.

"Okay, she's on her way", Mary Margaret said as she hung up. "Thank you... I'm sorry, I do not know your name."

"Toby", he responded. "I haven't really been out adventuring as much as the others; it's not my thing."

"Well, you were certainly gallant to offer to help me get home", Mary Margaret said with a smile. "Are you sure you do not want anything to drink?"

"No, I'll be fine", Toby responded. "I'm still trying to process what is going on in this town."

Mary Margaret studied him for a while before she smiled again.

"I may have just the thing."

She walked in behind the stairs and opened the wardrobe, rummaging through it for a while before pulling out a large, leather-bound book. On the front cover, written in stylised letters, were the words _Once Upon a Time_.

"These are our stories", she explained as she placed it on the table. "At least up until the first curse was cast. It was what Henry used to understand what was going on in this place and help bring Emma back here."

Curiously he opened the book, finding page after page of colourful images and long, intertwined stories so unlike the ones they had grown up hearing.

"I guess when we were sent back here it came back to me, since Henry was no longer aware of all of this", Mary Margaret continued, looking sad.

"It might clear a few things up", Toby said. "Thank you."

He had hardly finished the sentence when there was a knock on the door. Mary Margaret immediately walked over and opened it, letting in a woman with long, curly, ginger hair, red lips and sea-green eyes. She was wearing a black hat and a matching, black poncho while carrying a paper-bag filled with groceries.

"Wow, you got here fast", Mary Margaret remarked.

"Well, I could hear a little panic in your voice", the woman responded, her accent British, as she walked over to the counter, "but I am here to tell you that there is no need to be anxious when you haven't felt your baby move for a while. It doesn't mean a thing."

Her gaze stuck on Toby and her head tilted slightly to the left as she regarded him.

"And who might this be?"

"Oh, this is Toby", Mary Margaret said with a smile. "He accompanied me back home. Toby, this is Zelena, the midwife."

"A pleasure to meet you", Zelena said and walked over to him, extending her hand. He gave it a quick shake.

"Pleasure's all mine", he said, causing her to smile widely at him. The unpleasant feeling in his stomach made itself known again as he looked at her and if he did not know better he would say he did not trust this woman. But that could not be right, could it? If David and Mary Margaret, the counterparts of Prince Charming and Snow White, trusted her then certainly he should be able to trust her as well, right?

"Well, I brought just the thing for you, Mary Margaret", Zelena said and walked back to her grocery back, pulling out a bottle of orange juice. The pregnant woman looked at it in surprise.

"Orange juice?"  
Zelena smiled and pulled out a glass from the cupboard.

"Trust me", she said. "You see, babies move less right before you go into labour, so it's possible you're closer to delivering than we think."

She held out the glass, now filled with orange juice, to Mary Margaret, who accepted it as she sat down next to the kitchen island.

"Maybe I'm just anxious because of everything that's going on", she said, "with preparing for the baby, I mean."

"And the Wicked Witch", Zelena filled in. Toby raised his gaze from the book he had once again been reading. From what he knew the fact that the one they were chasing was the Wicked Witch of the West was still a secret for the majority of the town's population, just because of that no one knew who she was. Then how come Zelena knew about it?

"Everyone in town's talking about it", the ginger-haired woman now said. "Information like that spreads fast. Have you found out anything more about her?"

"No", Mary Margaret answered, "and I'm cooped up here while everyone else is working hard to find her."

Toby closed the book and picked it up from the table.

"I'm going to head back out", he said. "Now that your midwife is here I'm sure everything will work out."

"Yes, thank you so much for coming with me", Mary Margaret said with a smile and moved to get up.

"No, no, sit down. You're pregnant and you need to take it easy."

"Well, what a young gentleman you are", Zelena said with a smile. He looked up at her, feeling the unpleasant feeling spread in his stomach again.

"Take care of her", he said, staring into her sea-green eyes. He did not mean it as a threat but somehow it sounded like it, as if he was going to come back and tear her apart if she did not make sure Mary Margaret was alright. How he was going to do that was something he had no clue about.

"Thank you again for the book", he said to the seated pregnant woman. "Hopefully it will bring some order to the chaos in my head."

"Good luck", Mary Margaret told him as he turned and walked out through the door, hurrying down the steps and back out onto the street. Not until then did he feel like he could breathe normally again. Whoever that Zelena, however they might have possibly met back in the Enchanted Forest, he did not like the feeling of having her around.

"I need my wand back", he muttered as he made his way down the street back to the pawn shop.

* * *

**I would want the same thing, Toby. I would want the same.**

**More chapters coming tomorrow!**


	19. 18: White Sheet of Paper

**More chapters coming your way, people! Also, what did you think of last night's episode? I can't believe how brilliant this half of the season is; I was *this* close to giving up on the show during Neverland because I felt like nothing was progressing. And now every episode has me screaming!**

** I'd also like to thank you for your reviews; they really mean a lot to me :)**

** Now let's start the show!**

* * *

At the hospital things progressed at a slow rate. Ella was not showing any signs of waking up, making the others in the room tense and uncertain. They all had a go on the enchanted ropes binding their wands together – at least now they understood why there were fifteen wands and not fourteen – but they would not budge and cutting them left no marks at all. In a way it seemed like the only way to get the bonds off was to break the wands, something they were, of course, not willing to do.

Rachel had somehow acquired a sketchbook and a pen and was busy drawing things on the blank sheets of paper with her forehead wrinkled. Every now and then she would pause, study what she had drawn or written and then scratch something out before continuing.

"What are you doing?" Catriona eventually asked.

"I'm trying to understand exactly what is going on", Rachel responded. "Considering we don't have all the facts, unlike the real inhabitants of this place, it's turning out to be a bit harder than I thought."

Catriona walked over and sat down on the side of the bed occupied by the older Ravenclaw. In the sketchbook she had propped up against her knees she had written all of their names, along with several names belonging to Storybrooke inhabitants, and also the words _Courage_, _Heart (Love)_ and _Brain (Mind)_.

"The Wicked Witch stole a symbol of David's courage yesterday", Rachel said, pointing at a line she had drawn between the name _David Nolan_ and the word _Courage_. "If this theory is correct she's going to go after somebody else's mind, or brain, and a third person's heart, which I've translated to love."

"And you're trying to figure out who they might be", Catriona filled in. Rachel nodded.

"Like I said, it would have been much easier if we had all the background facts, including what happened here during the past curse. I mean, Regina isn't even known as the Evil Queen anymore, so something must have happened that changed who she was."

"You think we might be possible victims of whatever she's going to do next?" Catriona asked, pointing at the list consisting of their own names.

"It's an idea, though I'm not sure", Rachel answered. "She must want us for something since she held you guys captive, but she already had the wands, so that's not it."

"Well, whatever she's after we'll figure it out soon enough", Filipi said, walking up to them as well, "along with actually untying our wands."

"I can't believe we actually have wands", Clarissa remarked. "Like, does this mean we'll be able to use them when we get back as well?"

"Who knows?" Chris responded with a shrug. "We just..."

Commotion out in the hallway cut him off midsentence and caused everyone, except for Rachel, to stand up and look out through the glass wall at what was happening. A body was being rolled into the opposite room, followed by Hook, Maryse, Arianne, Toby and a short brunette whom no one on the other side recognized.

"If it's another monkey I'm going to freak", Jade remarked.

"No, they wouldn't bring another case like that in here", Rachel responded. "It's too dangerous. This guy's got something different."

"And he's awake", Tessa remarked, standing by the windows next to Chris. When she looked over at him, however, she found his eyes distant, sad and surprised at the same time. She placed a hand on his shoulder, waking him from his thoughts.

"Chris, are you alright?" she asked. He blinked multiple times.

"Yes, I'm..."

He looked at the man now moving, on his own, to a hospital bed in the other room and being attached to an IV.

"I'm just certain I've met that guy before."

* * *

"Neal", Emma said as she rushed into the room, followed by David and Indira. "You're here. What happened?"

Neal Cassidy removed his hands from his face, which he had been rubbing as the new guests entered, and turned to look at her.

"I don't know", he admitted. "I remember seeing the yellow bug cross the town line, and next thing I know I'm running around in a forest back in Storybrooke where, apparently, there's been a whole lot going on."

Hook, standing on his right, looked up at Emma as well.

"Are you going to tell him or shall I?" the pirate asked. Neal frowned.

"Tell me what?"

He looked from Emma to Hook and back again, but the one who eventually answered him was David.

"Neal, we think your dad's back."

"Back?" Neal asked, blinking as he tried to process what he had just been told. "I just watched him die; what do you mean he's back?"

"Take it easy", Indira ordered, causing him to focus on her instead.

"Who are these people?" he asked, looking at her, Toby, Maryse and Arianne. Toby was clutching a large book to his chest.

"They're victims of the new curse, even though they're not fairytale characters", David answered. "We're trying to help them get back home as well."

"But how can my dad be back?" Neal asked, seemingly accepting the explanation David had just given him. Emma was about to answer when her eyes caught a strange-looking symbol burned into his right palm.

"What the hell is that?" she asked.

"No idea", Neal responded. "It was there when I woke up."

Emma quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the symbol.

"Belle, can you do some more research?" she asked. The brown-haired woman nodded.

"Yeah, sure, absolutely."

"I'll send you the picture."

"Guys, can we... can we have a minute?" Neal asked, indicating at Emma.

"Yeah, of course", David quickly answered. Indira watched as Hook shared a quick glance with Emma before they all moved out of the room. Toby immediately led the way into the one on the opposite side of the corridor, where the rest of the gang had watched the events through the glass.

"Alright, I need background information; who is that?" Tessa asked as they entered.

"The son of the man we think was locked up in the empty cage in the Witch's basement", Indira answered. "He's been missing ever since the others woke up here."

"And what's his story with Emma?" Wolfgang asked.

"He's Henry's father", David responded. "Neal, or Baelfire, as he was called back in the Enchanted Forest, tried to persuade his father to quit using magic by bringing him to this world, but his father, Rumplestiltskin, refused in the last minute, causing Neal to be transported here on his own."

"So he came here before the first curse?" Miranda asked.

"He did", Hook answered, looking conflicted. "Only he did not remain here for long; he ended up on my ship close to Neverland after grabbing on to Peter Pan's shadow. I took care of him for a long time, making sure Pan did not get him, but in the end... we decided to go our separate ways. He allowed Pan to get him and I went back to the Enchanted Forest."

"You mean he's one of the Lost Boys?" Chris asked.

"Not quite", Hook responded. "He never joined them. In fact, before we had to venture to Neverland a year back he is the only one who has been able to leave without Pan's permission."

"And then he met Emma", Rachel guessed. "What happened to them? Why didn't they stay together?"

"He left her", David responded. "It's probably better if she tells..."

"Alright, Toby, what is it with that book of yours?" Maryse asked, interrupting him. "I've been wanting to ask since you came back to the shop, but I guess we got a bit distracted."

David frowned as Toby placed the book down on an empty bed.

"It's Henry's storybook", he said.

"It doesn't look like any storybook I've ever seen", Miranda said, sitting next to it on the bed. "What's it about?"

"Our pasts", David responded.

"AJ, I could kiss you!" Rachel exclaimed from her bed. "Finally some answers."

"Your wife gave it to me", Toby explained to David. "She said it might help us understand what is going on here."

"Good idea", David agreed. "Maybe there are clues hidden in there as to who the Wicked Witch is as well."

"You think her story's included?" Tessa asked.

"Maybe", David responded. "I'm not sure."

He looked up and saw Emma exiting the other room, signalling that she and Neal were done talking.

"Do you still want to come along?" he asked, looking at Indira.

"Count me in", she answered. "The more eyes the better."

"Yeah, and we should get back to the shop to do some more research", Arianne said. "I guess Belle left at once."

"I'll stay here", Hook said, to everyone's surprise. "Someone's got to keep an eye on Neal."

"You've got an entire room of people across from him perfectly capable of doing that", Miranda pointed out.

"Well, maybe research just wasn't my thing", the pirate responded. "Besides, you lot are going to be busy reading up on history. Keeping an eye out won't be your first priority here, love."

* * *

**Neal's back, people!**


	20. 19: Green Jell-O and Quilted Jackets

**Now follows two chapters with very little involvement from the new characters. These scenes were just too perfectly written for me to ruin.**

* * *

Neal studied the strange mark imprinted on his palm. It had the shape of a triangle and outside every one of its three sides was a wave, equal in length to the side it was mirroring yet very different thanks to its shape. He wondered where he could possibly have received such a mark and why.

A knock on the door leading into the room caused him to look up. In the doorway stood a young man, probably in his early twenties. He had ginger hair and a hint of a smile played on his lips.

"Hi", he said. "You're Neal, right."

"That's right", Neal answered. "Who are you?"

"I'm Chris, I'm one of the people who should not be cursed but somehow is", the man responded and stepped inside the room. "Two of our friends are hospitalized in the room right across from here, so we sort of made it our headquarters."

Neal nodded, regarding him with utmost curiosity. Chris seemed familiar in a very strange way, almost as if he should know exactly who he was but every time he tried to grasp at the memory it slipped through his fingers like water.

"I probably shouldn't be here", Chris remarked, "but it's just... I'm sure I've met you somewhere before and, for some reason, I feel sad thinking about it."

Neal frowned.

"I feel something like that as well", he admitted. "Were you and your friends with us in the Enchanted Forest during the year we don't remember?"

"We think so", Chris answered. "People are acting strange around people they're not meant to know, like I am right now, so it's probably the answer to why we recognize each other... but I still don't know why I feel so sad when I see you."

Neal felt like he knew the answer and he wanted to scream it out at him, but somehow the words got stuck midway and not even he knew what he was meant to say.

Fortunately he did not have to consider it for long because Hook appeared, carrying a bowl of green Jell-O, which he placed on the table next to Neal's bed.

"Thought you could use some sustenance", he said. Neal smiled in amusement.

"Nothing like a green blob to get the appetite going."

"Well, I gather it has... great medicinal properties", Hook said, waving his hand at the dessert.

"I'm going to use that argument next time I'm sick", Chris said. "I think I'm going to go get one of those of my own; are they available down in the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, sure", Hook answered and watched as the ginger boy disappeared out through the door.

"So, they put you on babysitting duty, huh?" Neal asked, drawing his attention. "No one trusted me to stay here?"

"Well, we thought it best if you weren't out in the cold running after your father", Hook responded. Neal nodded.

"Thank you, by the way."

"What, for playing nanny?" Hook asked with a frown.

"For getting Emma the message to come back", Neal clarified. Hook's constant smile faltered somewhat.

"You would have done the same", he remarked and forced the corners of his lips up again.

"Yeah", Neal said and glanced down at the mark on his palm once again. "What's it feel like to play the hero after being a pirate for so long?"

"Unfamiliar", Hook admitted. "And you; how does it feel to play the villain?"

Neal raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, I'm the villain now?"

"If you truly had a hand in bringing your father back, I suspect you had to use the darkest of magic and paid an even darker price", Hook answered, "though I'm sure you felt the ends justified the means."

Neal considered his words before he grabbed onto the IV-drop and pulled it out of his arm with a hiss of pain.

"I should be out there looking for him", he said and swung his legs over the side of the bed, "to set things right, with him and my son."

He grabbed his long coat and walked around the bed, only to find the notorious pirate captain blocking his way.

"Question is, are you going to stand in my way?" he asked. Hook fired off his general smile.

"I am in your way", he remarked. Neal studied him in silence, wondering how he could best walk past him, before Hook suddenly moved forward and wrapped his regular arm around him, giving him a bone-crushing hug. Neal frowned in surprise, unable to return it properly as he tried to understand what was happening.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, his voice somewhat muffled by the fact that he was speaking into the pirate's leather-clad shoulder.

"This is long overdue", Hook responded and, slowly, pulled back. Neal was surprised to see that he had tears in his eyes.

"Sometimes when I look at you, all I see is a man", the pirate said. "I forget, then... beneath it all you're still that boy, the one I looked after all those years ago."

Neal swallowed, feeling as if he was once again a young teenage boy sailing the waters outside Neverland onboard the _Jolly Roger_, with Hook, no, Killian Jones teaching him how to steer among the waves.

"I haven't forgotten", he said, managing a smile.

"We got caught up in so much nonsense over... a woman."

The pirate blinked to keep the tears at bay and Neal felt the urge to hug him once again. For the past few months, not counting the lost year that he could not remember, they had been fighting over Emma, when they were really friends. Good friends, at that.

"I need to do this, Killian", he remarked. "You know that, right?"

Hook nodded.

"You have ten minutes; then I'll alert the others that you've gone."

Neal smiled and squeezed his shoulder in thanks.

"Thank you."

With those words he passed him and, with hurried steps, walked out of the hospital.

* * *

Regina's choice of high-heeled boots might not have been the best thing to wear when scouting the perimeter of the farmhouse. At least the snow had melted away over night, but that still did not mean it was easier for her to walk on the uneven ground. However, she was and always would be the Queen, and the Queen did not arrive without her style.

She had been up here for almost an hour now but found no traces at least on the outside of the house or down in the basement of where the Witch might have taken off, what her plans were or what she had been doing while staying here, except for keeping a few prisoners. For someone as impatient as Regina Mills such a result almost made her give up and she was walking down the driveway, away from the house, ready to do just that.

That was when she heard a twig snap behind her. It caused her to stop and turn around. She doubted it was the Wicked Witch; she would not be so careless or cowardly as to not step out and face her opponent. More likely it was one of her winged monkeys. Regina quickly prepared a fireball in her mind, which would materialize in her hand the moment the beast appeared.

"Show yourself, you winged freak!" she ordered. She had hardly finished the sentence when a man stepped out from behind the thick bushes between the house and the sheds and fired an arrow at her from a crossbow. Reflexively she moved aside and caught the arrow in her hand – it was, after all, not the first time someone had done this towards her. It still caused her temper to flare, though, and she turned her head to glare at the man. He raised his hand, palm facing her, as a sign of peace.

"Apologies, my lady!" he called, his accent British. "I thought you were the Wicked Witch."

While he spoke she was surprised to find him walking towards her. He certainly had a nerve, but then again, she did not recognize him; maybe he did not know her, either.

"And I thought you were a flying monkey", she called back at him, sounding annoyed. He lowered his head as if bowing slightly towards her.

"I do hope my mistake hasn't cost me my head, Your Majesty."

"So, you know who I am?" she asked, feeling surprised. The man had now almost reached her and she studied his appearance as he took the final steps; thick, light-brown hair, a matching, well-tended short beard and moustache, slightly tanned skin probably due to spending time outdoors. He wore sturdy boots, a dark shirt, a green scarf around his neck as if he was in the Wild West, and on top of it all an open green, quilted jacket. In a way she actually thought he looked quite handsome.

"Your reputation in the Enchanted Forest proceeds you", he now said, stopping in front of her with a cheeky grin.

"I didn't catch your name", she remarked.

"Robin of Locksley, at your service", he responded and held out his right, glove-clad hand towards her, palm upwards and thus most likely not asking for a handshake but for her to hand back the arrow she had caught. She considered not to do so, but then something spurred her into continuing this discussion with him. Also, the name _Robin of Locksley_ rang many bells in her mind.

"A thief", she thus remarked as she placed the arrow in his hand.

"Well", he said as he placed the arrow back in its quiver, "as we're tossing labels around aren't you technically known as the Evil Queen?"

Her smile faltered while the teasing glint in his blue eyes grew.

"I prefer Regina", she said, her voice harsh. It only made him smile, which made her curious; she had never met anyone who would banter with her like this and not get annoyed or angry. Who was he, really?

"You think you can bring down the Wicked Witch with sticks?" she asked, indicating at his crossbow. Robin of Locksley, also known as Robin Hood, was after all a skilled archer; maybe insulting his skills would remove that teasing glint and smile from his eyes and face. He looked down at his weapon, hesitating, before answering her.

"Well, I'm certainly going to try."

He looked back up at her again, his blue eyes meeting her with defiance. He was serious about what he was saying.

"I'm afraid we're too late", she remarked, hoping he would take the bait and leave her to her own investigation. "She's long gone."

"Well, perhaps she left a trail", Robin responded. The fact that he even thought of that, the same thing she had been thinking about, took her by surprise.

"I was hoping the same thing", she admitted.

"Well, then you've got yourself a partner."

She stared at him, gazing into his blue eyes and wondering why the depth of them made her feel dizzy. In the end she had to evade them, by any means, and the only one she could come up with was to walk around him in order to get closer than he was to the farmhouse.

"I don't remember asking for one", she said.

"You didn't", he said behind her back, causing her to stop and slowly turn. To her surprise she saw his eyes dropping down her body and then, with a new, cheeky smile, return to meet her own. Was he checking her out? The intensity of his gaze caused butterflies to appear in her stomach; she had not had butterflies in her stomach for she did not know how long.

"Just... don't get in my way", she warned, feeling a smile creep up on her own face.

"I wouldn't dream of it", he responded. Those words, they sounded so strikingly familiar when spoken in that tone, with that voice, with that accent, that her smile faltered once more.

"Have..." she begun with a frown, "have we met before?"

He smiled at her before he answered.

"I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you."

There it was again, the cheeky smile where he pulled up only one corner of his mouth in her direction. It set her off balance and made her want to avoid his gaze.

"Unless, of course, it was during that pesky year no one can recall", he said, walking past her and allowing a scent of pine forest hit her nose, "which is all the more reason to find this Witch."

She smiled as she followed him towards the house and found him turning towards her with a smile of his own as he continued to talk.

"Perhaps she can offer some insight into our lost memories."


	21. 20: Amber Love Potion

Unlike the day before, when the cold weather and cloudy sky had rendered the forest gloomy, it now looked like any other forest you might visit; completely harmless. Of course after spending a few days in Storybrooke Indira knew that that was not exactly the case. On their way out to a new trail, which would lead them in the opposite direction than the one leading to the Witch's farmhouse (as they believed Gold, or Rumplestiltskin, to be fleeing from there), David had even given her a small dagger to use in case they were attacked. Apparently he had learned that if they came along they certainly needed to be armed with something. He himself had opted for a sword, not his usual one as it had been demolished and partially stolen by the Witch, but a sword none the less. Emma, of course, went along with her gun.

"So, how was Neal?" David asked, aiming his question at Emma.

"It was... hard", Emma admitted. "Henry makes it complicated, it's not just about me. He's hoping Gold can help bring his memories back."

"That would be an added bonus to finding him", David admitted, probably referring to the fact that previous attempts at breaking the memory spell by replicating the same potion Emma had been given in New York by Hook to cause her to come back and help out had failed. Indira purposely walked a few steps ahead of them, letting the pair have their father-daughter talk. It still felt strange to think of them like that, like father and daughter, as they looked to be about the same age, but since time had stopped for the inhabitants of Storybrooke during the almost thirty cursed years they first had lived there did not age, while Emma, living elsewhere thanks to being saved from the curse, followed the regular aging pattern.

"Would it?" Emma now asked. "A couple of days ago I would have thought that was true, but now..."

She hesitated.

"Now what?" David asked. "How's he going to stay in Storybrooke without them?"

There was a pause and Indira struggled with the temptation of turning back to look at them.

"Unless you're not planning to", David eventually said, letting out a sigh. "You think you'll go back to New York after we break the curse?"

"A week ago, Henry and I were playing video games and eating fruit roll-ups", Emma responded. "Now I'm chasing after the Dark One hoping he can help me find the Wicked Witch of the West."

Indira froze in her steps before Emma had finished speaking, an agonized cry sounding among the trees. Emma and David stopped as well.

"This way", Indira said and took off.

Not far from the trail they saw the shape of a man. He was on his knees, trembling and grasping at his head with his right hand.

"Gold!" Emma called, running up to the man. "Are you alright?"

"No", the man said, before raising his voice to a scream. "Not alright, not alright!"

He looked up, waving his hand at Emma to stop her from coming any closer. Indira studied him with a mixture of fear and surprise; he did not look like a man supposed to be an expert in magic, especially dark magic. In fact he looked fragile; not too tall, skinny, shoulder-length, brown-grey hair, high cheekbones, a pointy nose and long fingers. His dark suit jacket hung loosely over his shoulders.

"I can't quiet the voices", he now cried and grasped at his head again, seemingly close to tears. Emma knelt as close to him as she would dare, slowly in an attempt not to frighten him.

"We know that you were held captive by the Wicked Witch", she said, her voice calm. "Do you know where she is?"

The man, who apparently was known as Gold in this world, nodded.

"Yeah, she's... she's..."

He cried out in agony again.

"There's no room!" he cried. "No room! There's too many voices! Too many voices!"

"We've got to get him out of here", David said, moving forward.

"No!" Gold said, though his voice was drowned in the cry of a flying monkey closing in on them. David immediately drew his sword and hit the creature on its left wing, sending it crashing to the ground behind Gold. Despite this it rose quickly. While Emma pulled out her dagger and readied it for a shot, Indira drew her dagger, wondering what she would be able to accomplish with it. David moved forward, slashing at the beast with his sword. During this commotion Gold got up and ran past them, away from the monkey and down towards the trail. Both Emma and Indira looked from his fleeing shape to David.

"He's getting away!" Indira called, alerting the fighting man. He looked back at them.

"I'll hold it off", he said, slashing at the monkey once more. "Go!"

Emma glanced at Indira once more before she secured her gun, holstered it and started running after Gold. Indira looked down at her dagger, at the monkey and then in the direction that Emma had run. With a roar she then flung the dagger forward, narrowly missing David and hitting the monkey square in the chest. It screamed in pain and flew back, before it rose into the air and swiftly flew away from them. David turned towards Indira with a surprised stare, one she hardly noticed as she was staring after the monkey.

"How did you..."

"I'm going to pull a wild guess and say I learned that during this year we can't even remember", Indira interrupted. "Come on, let's go find them before it comes back."

* * *

Calling Regina Mills, this realm's name for the Evil Queen, an interesting woman would be an understatement. First of all Robin could not believe her choice of clothes; a pair of high-heeled boots, a tight skirt, a clear-blue scarf and a long, grey coat did not play well with scouting out a house in an attempt to find a Witch. Then again, it did show him something else; she was a very attractive woman.

After going through the few rooms within the farmhouse they ended up back in the kitchen, where Regina immediately started to investigate the containers by the stove marked out as containing various spices. A few at a time she brought them over to the table and inspected them, probably using some sort of magic to determine if they were in fact magical ingredients in disguise.

"Nothing useful here", she eventually said though, pursing her lips in disappointment. He quickly turned his gaze from her face to the container in her hand.

"Unfortunately", she muttered as she placed it down on the table between them.

"So, none of these contain magical properties?" he asked, indicating at the shelf behind them, which was now as neatly arranged as it had been before they came. Regina straightened up.

"Well, a good witch covers her tracks", she said as she walked around the table. He did not know why but for some reason, despite not having the need to do it, she walked so close to where he was standing that their shoulders touched.

"But a better one", she continued, her breath tickling the hair on his neck as she leaned over towards him, "can uncover them."

He turned with her as she passed, following the scent of her perfume, feeling more intrigued by this woman than he had ever been before. Was she flirting with him? It certainly felt like it and, he had to admit, the banter they had shared previously outside the house had been oddly teasing. Well, he now thought as his eyes swept down her coat-covered back, two can play this game. He leaned back against the table as he took in the sight of her bending over forwards to study every single container on the shelf once more.

"We'll find her", she said, unaware of his thoughts, "just be patient."

The word caused him to smile; for some reason he did not see her as a patient woman. He could even hear it in the tone of her voice as she uttered that certain word. The best thing to do would be to draw her attention somewhere else, he thought to himself, smiling even wider.

"You know, I've heard many stories about the great and terrible Evil Queen", he begun, his eyes once again travelling down her back, "but from this angle the evil moniker seems somewhat of an overstatement."

She stopped, not straightening up completely but her movements clearly showed that she was listening.

"Bold and audacious, perhaps", he said as he slowly pushed himself up off the table again, "but not evil."

She turned and the smile she gave him made him smile back. A warm feeling wrapped around his heart and he reflected back on what she had asked him outside the farmhouse; did they know each other? Had they met during the year they had now forgotten?

"The name served me well", she now said, tossing her hair aside instead of raising a hand to push it away from her face. "Fear is... quite an effective tool."

He did not really reflect on what he was doing next; his eyes were glued to hers as he found himself walking forward, invading her personal space. Her red lips parted and her eyes darted down to look at his mouth, then back up to meet his gaze again. She was beautiful, he thought, but there was something more about her as well. He had not felt like this for a woman since... well, since Marian died.

The thought of his late wife caused him to move aside in the last moment, reaching past her, still so close that their scents mingled with every breath of air he inhaled, and grabbed a bottle standing on the lowest shelf.

"What about this?" he asked, pulling back but still standing so painfully close to her. Truly, if he wanted to he only had to bend forward and brush her lips over hers, and the same, obviously, counted for her.

"Is this magical?" he clarified. She seemed to tear her gaze away from his eyes, focusing on the bottle in his left hand.

"Not exactly", she responded, tapping the cork of the bottle with her finger, "but it is a liquid that can conjure courage, give strength or... even act as a love potion of sorts."

His eyebrows shot up. Was she insinuating what he thought she was insinuating? Then, suddenly, her face broke into a wide grin, showing that she was teasing him.

"It's called whisky", she explained, "and no, it's not magical. Especially the next day."

"Oh", he said, smiling in realization at exactly what he was holding in his hand. He swiftly moved the bottle over to his right hand and, reaching past her once again, grabbed two glasses from the top shelf. As he pulled back he gave her a face that he hoped conveyed exactly what he wanted to ask her.

"You want to have a drink?" she asked, frowning at him. "Now?"

He smiled and turned around towards the table with his goods.

"Well", he said as he placed it all down and pulling up the sleeves of his jacket, "in the last few days we've survived a curse, woken up in an entirely new realm, and forgotten a year of our lives."

He unscrewed the cork of the bottle and poured the amber liquid into the two glasses. He then screwed the cork back on and turned towards her with her glass placed in the palm of his right hand. She was smiling widely at him.

"I'd say we've earned it", he said as he reached it out towards her. "Wouldn't you?"

She looked down at the glass, about to accept it, and then, all of a sudden, her smile faltered. Her mouth moved as if she wanted to say something but all she could do with her face was to convey her utter shock. What it was that shocked her, however, he did not know and it made him worried.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Without looking up to meet his eyes again she pushed past him, hurriedly making for the door, her right hand moving up to clutch her chest.

"Regina!" he called after her, but she was already gone. He was left standing in the Wicked Witch's kitchen with two glasses of whiskey in his hands. Swiftly he downed them both before putting the bottle back where he had found it, not caring that it was now containing significantly less liquid than before, grabbing his crossbow and rushing out through the door only to see Regina vanish into the forest below.

* * *

**Outlaw Queen, Outlaw Queen, Outlaw Queen!**

**(If you didn't know I'm a major OQ-shipper, so their scenes are just... I won't change them much because they're perfect as they are, alright?)**


	22. 21: Silver Cutlass

**This is the only Enchanted Forest-chapter I added based on this episode and for the next one I don't think I added any at all, so enjoy the flashback, people!**

* * *

_11 Months Prior_

_Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

If anyone had told them that instead of enjoying their time at the _Wizarding World of Harry Potter_ in Orlando they would be recruited to a resistance army set to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West, well, no one in the group would have believed this person. After spending some days trying to get used to meeting real life fairytale characters wherever they went, Chris had decided that he was most likely dreaming. Probably because it seemed the easiest thing to do, as the second explanation involved them all actually being transported from one world to another, something that could only happen in stories such as the ones Rachel had written and posted on the page for the rest of them to read. No, he was most definitely dreaming. He could not be living in a large castle built out of black stones and be wished a good morning by Snow White every time he went to eat his breakfast.

Since this was a dream, however, he decided that he should make the most of it and took Robin Hood up on his offer to teach him how to do archery. Certainly being taught how to fire arrows at a target properly by Robin Hood could not happen anywhere but in his head?

"Chris!"

He blinked and looked up, realizing he had released an arrow without aiming it properly due to being lost in thought and thus sending it straight into the ground. Robin Hood walked over to him with his usual frown plastered on his forehead.

"What were you thinking about?" the outlaw asked. "One shot like that when we're under attack and you will most likely be dead."

"It won't happen again", Chris assured him. Next to him Jade snorted.

"Dream-theory again?" she asked as she drew back the string of her bow.

"You're a Gryffindor, Jade; you're meant for these sort of things", Chris answered and took out another arrow from his quiver. Jade's arrow sizzled off and hit the target, although it was not dead centred.

"Well, you might be a Hufflepuff, Chris, but that doesn't mean you don't enjoy this", she pointed out. "Think Cedric Diggory!"

Chris muttered something inaudible at her before firing his own arrow. It sizzled by the target and stuck to a tree behind it.

"I'm done for the day", he announced and walked over to their trainer. Robin Hood accepted the bow and quiver, before giving him a worried look.

"Are you sure you're alright, Chris?" he asked.

"Fine", he responded, before walking back up the grand staircase to the upper courtyard. In the sunlight the palace did not look too dark, except for its spiky appearance, but rather nice to live in. Since it had once belonged to Snow White's father he supposed it had not always been known as the Dark Palace; that had been after Regina became the Evil Queen. Now he was not sure what to call her, which seemed to apply to everyone else as well. From what he had heard she had had to give up her son in order to save everyone else and bring them back here, which could explain her sour mood and isolation, though he was surprised he had been able to come up with such a plot, since this had to be a dream.

Entering the castle once more he bumped into Rachel, Filipi, Indira and Wolfgang, off to a sword-and-knife-wielding session.

"Got bored with Robin's teachings?" Wolfgang asked.

"No, I'm just tired", Chris responded.

"So you won't come with us, then?" Rachel asked. He shook his head.

"No, but thanks for asking. I'll see you all later, alright?"

They parted ways and he continued his walk, not sure where he would end up or where he was aiming. Eventually it was the sound of someone grunting in a room to his right that made him stop and take a look.

Inside the room was a man clad in brown clothes, his brown leather jacket discarded on a nearby chair while he moved through the room, taking a stance against imaginary enemies with a cutlass. Chris frowned; he had not seen anyone else wield such a weapon here. Those that had swords had regular once, not cutlasses.

"Hi", he said when the man paused, knocking on the door. The man spun around, raising the cutlass slightly but then lowering it again.

"Hi", he said, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"Wandering about", Chris answered. "I heard you and, well, I became curious. How come you wield a cutlass?"

The man blinked at him before he smiled slightly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Chris."

"I'm Neal, but people around here sometimes call me Baelfire."

Chris stepped inside the room. It seemed to be a originally meant for councils, but all tables, benches and chairs had been pushed to the side. Neal walked over to one of these benches and picked up a piece of cloth, wiping his face with it.

"So, you didn't answer my question", Chris said when he put it down again. "How come you wield a cutlass while everyone else has regular swords?"

"Because I didn't get mine here", Neal responded, studying his weapon. A shadow of sadness passed over his face.

"Then where did you get it?"

"You're one of those we picked up on the way here, aren't you?" Neal asked in return.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, you don't seem to know my story", Neal responded. "Everyone else does."

Chris frowned and Neal slowly sat down on the bench.

"They know me because of who my father is, or was", he explained. "The Dark One."

"I've heard that name", Chris admitted and sat down as well. "He was some sort of dark wizard, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, sort of", Neal said and looked down at the cutlass. "To be honest, he was a good man once, before he sought a way to protect me from being drafted to join the army. That's how he became the Dark One; he killed the previous one carrying this title and the powers were then transferred to him. After that he always picked power over love."

He paused, turning his weapon in his hands.

"I tried to make him come with me to a world without magic, but in the end he refused and I went alone through a portal", he explained.

"Where did you go?"

"London", Neal responded, "and after that; Neverland."

"Wait, Neverland is a real place too?" Chris asked, eyes widening. "Did you meet Peter Pan?"

"I did, but he was not like people think he is", Neal said, sounding grim. "Pan was cruel and did nothing but play games with people, no matter what was at stake, but it wasn't him I met first."

He flicked the cutlass again and Chris looked at it, considering his statement.

"Pirates have cutlasses, don't they?" he asked after a while. "You got this one from Captain Hook, didn't you?"

"Yeah", Neal agreed. "Killian Jones is his real name, though, and he took me onboard his ship. He taught me a lot of things; to sail, to travel using the stars... he was a good man and still is. In a way he was a better father to me than my own, for a while."

He rose and swung the cutlass with great precision, telling Chris that in a battle Neal would make a formidable opponent.

"So Hook's the hero and Pan's the villain?" he asked. Neal smiled slightly in amusement.

"I wouldn't say that, but Killian has certainly proved that he has a good heart, a much better one than Pan had."

"How come you talk about Pan in past tense?" Chris asked. Neal stopped, his back towards him.

"Because he's dead", he answered after a while.

"Dead? How?"

"My father killed him, and himself, in order to save everyone here", Neal responded, flicking the cutlass again. "In the end my father proved himself a hero."

Realizing that the man in front of him had recently watched his father, who appeared to have been quite a bad person, sacrifice himself for the sake of others made Chris uncomfortable. He was not sure what to say; a simple "sorry" did not seem to be enough.

"And now I'm stuck here while the woman I love and my son are back in the other world, having completely forgotten about who I am", Neal continued, swinging the cutlass around to mark certain words. During one such swing it stuck to a table, causing the man to stop and inhale deeply.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to say all of that", he muttered.

"Well, I guess you needed it", Chris responded and rose, "and I'm happy to listen. You're the most interesting person I've met here so far."

Neal's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Thanks, I guess?" he said. Chris grinned and held out his hand for him to shake.

"Whenever you need to talk about these things, just tell me, alright?" he said. "And I guess my advice to you regarding your son; maybe you can get back to him. If we got here when people said all gateways were closed, then you might be able to find a way to get back."

Neal looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Could you teach me how to use that?" Chris then asked. "It's the first weapon I've seen anyone use that I actually feel like I might be good at."

Neal considered it for a while, before nodding, his lips curving up in a slight smile.

"Sure. Here."

For the next thirty minutes Neal taught him how to use the cutlass; how to balance it, swing it, strike and parry, and to Chris' delight it was indeed a weapon he felt very comfortable using. Despite his fondness for bows and arrows due to his family history the weight of the cutlass in his hand felt much more like him.

"Good job", Neal said, patting him on the shoulder when they walked out, "and thanks again, Chris."

"No problem", Chris said with a grin, "and I meant what I said; if you ever need to talk, or in a while maybe need a fencing partner, tell me. Alright?"

"Yeah", Neal agreed with a smile.

"Also", Chris said, "I should probably thank you as well."

"What, for teaching you how to use a cutlass?" Neal asked in amusement.

"No", Chris responded, "but for showing me that maybe this isn't a dream after all. My mind could never have conjured up the kind of story you told me, so maybe I'd do best to believe it's all real."

"Well, belief is a very strong thing", Neal agreed, before waving goodbye and walking off.

The next day Neal left with Belle without leaving a message to anyone about where they were going.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when the inhabitants of the castle woke up due to someone banging on the door.

"Let me in!" a female voice cried as they hurried to the door from various rooms and corridors. "Let me in!"

"Belle?" Snow White said in surprise, allowing Charming to open the door. The brunette stumbled inside, out of breath, her hair in a mess and her clothes torn.

"What happened?" Snow White asked. "Where's Neal?"

Chris watched as the woman shook her head, fighting back her tears. He felt as if something cold had gripped his heart.

"He's... gone", Belle eventually managed to respond. "Rumplestiltskin... he..."

"Wait, are you talking about _the_ Rumplestiltskin?" Miranda asked. Of course she knew about him; she and the other Ravenclaws had probably used the castle's library to learn everything there was to know about this place.

"He's back", Belle said, swallowing hard again. "Neal resurrected him, but... but..."

"Oh Belle, I'm so sorry", Snow White said, embracing the other girl. Chris felt his grip around the banister tightening before he swiftly turned and marched back up to his room.

"Chris!"

It was Catriona. He stopped to let the other girl catch up.

"Did you know Neal?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"He was the first person that I felt a connection to here", Chris answered, his voice sharp. "The first person that made me think this wasn't a dream. How do you think I feel?"

Catriona stared at him in surprise and he took the chance to march into his room and slam the door behind him. Something then rattled down from the top of the wardrobe; Neal's cutlass. Surprised he picked it up and found a note attached to it. _Take care of this_, it read, along with Neal's name. The sight of the weapon and the man's name in written form made his knees buckle and he fell down on the floor, crying himself to sleep on the cold stone.

* * *

**And here's to the tears you knew you'd cry.**


	23. 22: Son of Gold

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

"There's just something here that doesn't make sense", Clarissa said while flipping through the storybook Toby had brought.

"Except for the fact that all stories are suddenly intertwined as one?" Wolfgang asked.

"Yes, except for that", Clarissa groaned. "It's that Zelena-woman Toby met who bothers me."

"If it is because she's not in the book, don't worry about it", Rachel said, scribbling things in her notebook as they went along. "She's probably not mentioned by name due to being a midwife, but now that they're all real I suppose she needs a proper name."

"Well, true, but I agree with Clarissa", Miranda said. "Just hearing that name makes me feel... I don't know, uneasy."

"That was how I felt when I met her", Toby admitted. "Something's not right about her, something we should know."

Jade sat down on the bed as well, glancing briefly at the storybook before bouncing up again.

"Well, if you Ravenclaws are done pondering over a book, would you mind trying to help us get these ropes off of our wands?" she asked.

"We've been at it since yesterday, Jade", Miranda responded. "None of us can do it, so we'll have to figure out if someone else can. Meanwhile we need to understand as much as possible about who people are in this town in order to understand why they act the way they do."

"Hey."

They looked up and saw Chris standing in the door of the room, holding a bowl of Jell-O in his hands.

"Where did you get that?" Tessa asked.

"The cafeteria", Chris answered. "Where's Neal?"

The others looked across the corridor into the other room, finding the previously occupied bed empty. Hook was, however, standing outside the door.

"Don't know", Rowan said. "I never saw him leave. Maybe you should ask Hook?"

"I heard you, mate", the pirate pointed out. "Your friend hasn't closed the door yet."

"So, where is he?" Chris asked, turning to face him.

"Neal went off to find his father", Hook responded, "and I decided to let him do so."

Before anyone could say anything Chris dropped his bowl of Jell-O onto the floor, sending the green goo in every direction, before sprinting down the corridor.

"What the hell was that about?" Hook asked.

"Remember how I said I had a connection to David, which we believed was due to us being close in the Enchanted Forest?" Rachel asked. "I think Neal is the one Nick got close to, but considering the way he was running off..."

Emma's old phone started ringing and Tessa answered it, pressing the speaker so that everyone would be able to hear. On the display was the name _Belle_.

"It's Maryse", a familiar voice said. "Guys, is Neal still at the hospital?"

"No, he disappeared to search for his father", Filipi responded. "Why?"

"Because we figured out what the mark on his hand means", Maryse answered, "and it's nothing good."

* * *

Maryse flipped through the thick book Belle had handed her, occasionally looking at the messy drawing on the table with the symbol they were looking for; a triangle with squiggly lines surrounding it. After being locked up for several days, though without means for counting time, it felt good to be able to do something that might help figure out what was going on, and when it came to research and finding answers in books – well, she was definitely not someone to say no to a day's reading.

"Wait, I think I found something", Arianne suddenly said, placing her own thick book in front of her on the table. "This looks like the right symbol."

On the page she had flipped open was a drawing of a key. The top of the key was a flat circle with the symbol they were looking for drawn on it.

"Belle, we found it", Maryse said, alerting the older woman. She immediately came over.

"Can you read it?" Arianne asked. "I think it's in Latin or something like that."

"Yeah, I can read it", Belle said, skimming over the page with her eyes. As she did her face turned pale.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Maryse asked. Belle answered by pulling up her phone.

"I have to call Emma", she said. She dialled a number and the other two sat in silence, waiting for her to get across. Finally the Sheriff answered and Belle wasted no time explaining what they had found.

"The symbol on Neal's hand", she said, "it's from an ancient talisman; a key, which opens the vault of the Dark One. I think he may have used it to resurrect Rumple back when we were in the Enchanted Forest."

Emma responded with something the others could not hear.

"That's where it gets unclear", Belle answered to some question Emma had asked. "The vault will only restore the Dark One in exchange for another life."

"Oh crap", Maryse said, realizing where Belle was going with all of this.

"It's a one-for-one trade", Belle continued. "If Neal used that key... he should be dead right now."

A scream suddenly echoed over the phone, loud enough for Maryse and Arianne to also hear it, before the call disconnected.

"Was that him?" Maryse asked.

"Isn't Neal still at the hospital?" Arianne asked.

"I don't know", Belle answered.

"Here, let me", Maryse said, grabbing the phone and scrolling down the list of contacts until she found one marked with _Emma (old number)_. When the call was answered she could hear someone working on the phone, probably pressing the speaker button.

"It's Maryse", she said. "Guys, is Neal still at the hospital?"

"No, he disappeared to search for his father", Filipi's voice answered. "Why?"

"Because we figured out what the mark on his hand means", Maryse answered, "and it's nothing good. In fact, Neal is supposed to be dead."

"That's what Chris sensed, wasn't it?" Tessa asked, aiming her question at the others.

"Wait, what?" Maryse asked.

"Chris rushed out when he heard Neal was gone", Clarissa's voice responded. "We think he might have been close with Neal in the Enchanted Forest and that he, subconsciously, remembered what had happened. He must be out searching for him right now."

* * *

The agonized cry echoed through the forest, causing David and Indira to stop.

"That wasn't Gold, was it?" Indira asked.

"No", David responded, before setting off in the direction of the sound. As they heard no more of these cries they had to hope they were moving in the right direction to begin with.

"Look!" Indira suddenly called, noticing a man up on a hill nearby.

"It's Gold", David responded, setting off towards him. Climbing the hill they could hear someone crying.

"You never even had a chance to see Henry. For him to remember you."

"Emma!" David called, rushing the last bit up the hill. Once there they were faced with Emma sitting on the ground cradling Neal in his arms and Gold standing close by, his back towards them and his face pained.

"It's okay", Neal now responded, his voice weak. "He doesn't need to. He just needs to know that... in the end I was a good father."

Gold turned towards them, hardly seeming to notice the arrival of David and Indira.

"I saved this for you", Neal continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a necklace, "to give to you again. Take it."

Emma slowly grabbed the silver chain, sobbing. The scene seemed so private that neither David or Indira made a move to speak or do anything. It was as if they were watching it all from the outside.

"Go find Tallahassee", Neal breathed, "even if it is without me."

"Neal", Emma sobbed.

"Hey", Neal said, managing to smile, "I'll be watching over you guys from somewhere... promise me, just... promise me you'll both be happy."

Emma, hardly capable of speaking due to the tears flowing from her eyes, forced a smile and nodded.

"I promise", she whispered. "I promise."

She hugged him to her and, suddenly, Gold moved again.

"No", he said, moving forward to kneel next to them. "No, no, no, I can fix this."

"No, you can't", Neal protested, his voice barely audible for the other two. "You can't..."

Gold pulled back somewhat, his face constricted with unshed tears. Neal gave a hint of a smile.

"Thank you, Papa", he said and swallowed, trying to keep going, "for showing me... what it is... to make a true sacrifice."

Indira covered her mouth with her right hand and stifled a sob, causing David to wrap his arm around her shoulders in support.

"It's about saving... the ones... that you love", Neal continued, his breathing becoming shallower with every word.

"No", Gold said, his lower lip trembling.

"It's my turn now", Neal said. He reached out and grabbed the older man's hand.

"No", Gold begged once more, now unable to keep himself from crying. "I don't want to let you go."

"I need you to", Neal breathed. "Please... let go..."

Gold reached out a trembling hand and touched his face, sobbing.

"I love you, son", he whispered. Neal took a few deep breaths before he was able to respond again.

"I love you, Papa..."

With that his head fell back and his eyes stared, unseeing, up at the sky, his body relaxing completely. Emma looked up in shock, tears still streaming down her face, and David forwards to embrace his daughter. Gold raised his son's hand to his lips and kissed it before gently pulling his eyelids closed, making it look like Neal had just fallen asleep, before dropping his hand. He turned his head slightly as he cried and spotted Indira, remaining in the same spot as before but with tears now flowing uncontrollably down her cheeks. The man in a suit slowly rose and approached her, wrapping his arms around her as also he cried over the loss of his son.

"Indira", he breathed between his sobs. "Indria."

Suddenly, footsteps were heard running up the hill and Chris appeared, staring at the scene before, as if in slow motion, falling to his knees with a sob.

"I should have saved him", he whispered, before covering his face with his hands.

When none of them had any tears left to cry, Emma and David left to catch the Wicked Witch, whose name Emma had found out through Mr Gold. The other three were too numb to even react when they left, but eventually Indira managed to get her thoughts working normally again, at least as long as she did not look at Neal's body.

"How did you know my name?" she asked Gold. He looked up at her from the log he was sitting on.

"You told me to remember it", he responded.

"When?"

"A very long time ago", Gold responded, "and you said you wouldn't know me when I met you again, but you wanted me to tell you one thing."

"And what was that?" Indira asked.

"That you can defeat me", Gold answered. "Whatever the Witch makes you think, Indira, or what she makes anyone else think, I can be defeated, and you can do it."

"Who is the Witch?" Chris asked. He was sitting next to a tree, his face grey like ash. Gold tightened his jaw and looked at the dead body of his son before he answered.

"Zelena."

* * *

The news of Neal's death and the Wicked Witch's identity spread fast through town. After trying to ambush Zelena at Mary Margaret and David's place, the Charmings went to Gold's old pawnshop, delivering the grim news to Belle, Maryse, Arianne and Hook, who had returned there after Neal's escape from the hospital. Maryse and Arianne watched as Belle broke down and cried in the arms of Mary Margaret, while Hook's face turned to the colour of ash and David gave him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, uncertain if he should do anything else.

Back at the hospital Rachel and Toby were currently discussing a certain section of the storybook when Chris stepped back in through the glass door. Seeing his face they, and everyone else, stopped talking, understanding without needing to hear it that the man they had seen being brought in earlier that day was no longer with them. Chris collapsed on an empty bed and stared up at the ceiling, swallowing back a few stray tears and silently wondering what his exact connection had been to the man he had now seen the corpse of.

Regina, though she had not heard the news of Neal's death, was instead faced with a different pain. After running from Robin Hood back at the farmhouse she had decided to go see him again, wandering to the Merry Men's camp in the woods that they had now, once again, moved back to. Hidden behind the trees she watched as Robin played with a young boy, probably not older than five, and how he then, with a wide smile on his face, lifted the boy up into his arms. Regina swallowed and turned around without them seeing her, feeling her heart break in her chest; whatever connection with Robin she had built up in the Enchanted Forest, she did not deserve to share in his happiness, not after everything she had done.

While all of this happened Gold stayed by his son's side, unmoving, feeling drained from all emotion.

"That was rather ill-timed", a female, British voice said behind him. He did not need to turn to know who it was.

"Your son coming to the surface", she continued, walking past him and standing on the opposite side of Neal's body, all black clothes and red hair, "staging that little escape."

She giggled her usual, manic giggle. Oh, how he hated that giggle.

"I can see he'll no longer be a problem", she said and turned towards him. He did not look up at her, his eyes were glued to Neal.

"My son may be gone", he said, "but he gave his life, so... I could tell the Saviour..."

She walked over Neal's body, her shoe close to hitting him in the face. It made Gold tense and he looked up in defiance.

"Who you really are, Zelena", he finished, "and now it's only a matter of time before she and the others find you and kill you."

Zelena's lips pulled momentarily upwards in a mocking smile.

"Unless, of course", he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "I manage it first."

He rose, intending to grab her by the neck, but she quickly whipped out an all too familiar dagger with a jagged blade. The magic in it sent him stumbling backwards.

"Oh please", Zelena said, looking perfectly innocent, "you can't hurt me, but you're more than welcome to try. I do so enjoy watching futility wreck a man's will."

She held the dagger out in front of her again and he felt the command in his heart, making him take another step backwards and stand still.

"There, much better", she said. "Now that your head is no longer cluttered everything's working properly, and it's so much more entertaining!"

She giggled again. He wished he was able to once again command his own body, but the dagger kept him from it and he knew it all too well. He could only hope that the others would be able to destroy the woman in front of him before he went completely mad because of it.

"You may control me", he said, managing to smile, "but it's over, Zelena. They know who you are. You'll never get close to Snow White's baby now, to any of them, to whatever your unholy desires are."

"They may know who I am now", Zelena said, stepping forward with a smile, "but it no longer matters."

She pressed the dagger against his cheek, the cold material making his breath hitch.

"Not, when I have you, Rumplestiltskin. Not when I have your beautiful _brain_."

She smiled her wicked smile and he tried his best to fight the power of the dagger, looking at his son to draw strength.

"So beat it, my little Dark One", he heard her say, "and get back in your cage."

He fought the daggers power for as long as he managed before it overwhelmed him, forcing him to stumble in the direction of Zelena's farmhouse. Zelena followed behind him, obviously finding everything that had transpired very amusing.

What neither of them knew was that the conversation had been overheard. In the bushes close to where Neal had died, hidden from sight from both above, in case of monkeys, and from where Zelena and Gold had been, Indira lay listening to the conversation. Once she deemed the situation safe she quickly got up and rushed in the other direction, back to Storybrooke to tell the others of what she had heard and seen.

* * *

**I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I honestly cried while writing this chapter and I cried while watching the actual episode because Neeeeaaaal!**


	24. 23: Brown Dirt on a Brown Coffin

**OK, so we know our Witch, now how do we stop her, and how do the newcomers play into this thing?**

* * *

Due to that they now knew who the Wicked Witch was everyone knew they could not push up Neal's funeral until they had dealt with her. Already the next day they gathered at the cemetery to see his coffin being lowered into the ground. There had been talk about leaving someone behind to guard Ella, who was still in a coma, but seeing Chris' conflicted face they had all decided to come. Whale had promised to alert them if something happened at the hospital, and just in case some of the fairies – who in Storybrooke had the shape of nuns – were also present. Filipi was not really sure what they would be able to do if the Wicked Witch actually showed up there, but it was as good as it could get.

There were not many of them at the cemetery and thus most of the faces surrounding the newly dug grave were familiar. There was Belle, Ruby and Granny, Robin and Regina, David and Mary Margaret, Hook and Emma, but then there were a few that Filipi did not recognize. One was a blonde woman with her hair tied up in a bun on top of her head, a brunette dressed in the blue coat of a nun (meaning she was truly a fairy) and a teenage boy, whom Emma held a protective arm around. This, at least, provided some clue to who he was; Emma's son, Henry. Filipi had heard his story from some of the others; that Emma had given him up as a newborn and he had been adopted by Regina, only to discover the truth about Storybrooke and track down Emma to break the curse. In the end, however, he had had to give up his memories of this town and his life here to save the other residents from a curse, which was why he did not seem to properly understand who it was that was being buried. Emma had told him that it was his father, yes, but the fact that Henry had actually met him before he did not remember. It made Filipi sad.

The coffin touched the ground of the grave with a low thud and Hook stepped forward, his hook replaced by a wooden, gloved prosthetic as to not scare Henry and his face still the colour of ash, as Maryse and Arianne had seen it when he had received the news of Neal's death. They must have been good friends in the past. With his healthy hand Hook grabbed a shovel, dug into the pile of dirt next to the grave, held it out over the coffin, hesitated, swallowed down some tears he did not want to shed in public, and then dumped the dirt onto the dark-brown lid.

David and Mary Margaret stepped forward next, with David tossing the dirt into the grave as Mary Margaret was weeping uncontrollably. Regina followed, her face composed but her eyes sad; she might not have been a close friend of Neal's, but he was the father of her adoptive son. Without him Henry would not have existed.

Belle's face was a grimace of pain as she walked forward, dumping the dirt from the shovel into the grave before sticking said shovel into the ground, as hard as she could manage, in order to stop the pain she was feeling.

Chris was next, representing all of them since they believed he had somehow known Neal, just like Rachel somehow knew David. Just like Hook's face Chris' was ashen grey as he dug up a chunk of dirt and tossed it into the hole. He stood still for a few moments before returning to the others. Indira placed her arm around him, tears falling freely from her eyes, but somehow she still seemed calm. Filipi did not understand how she could do that.

Emma and Henry shared a glance, with Emma giving her son a slight smile before he walked up to his father's grave and tossed a small amount of dirt into it. He then handed the shovel directly to his mother. Emma stood still for a while, looking down at the coffin, shovel in her right hand while her left went up to her neck, grabbing a pendant hanging from a silver chain. Taking a deep breath she then dug into the dirt, turned back towards the grave and tossed it onto the lid.

Granny and Ruby led the way back to the diner for the wake, the group solemn. Few of those they met did anything but nod in greeting, knowing that the sadness would otherwise overwhelm several members of the party. Drinks and food were free as of today, though few seemed to have an appetite. Zelena had to be found and stopped before more of them died due to what she was up to.

"You're sure she said she wanted his brain?" Filipi heard Rachel ask as she sat down opposite her in a booth, her voice low. Indira, sitting next to Filipi, nodded.

"Positive", she responded. "That means she only needs someone's heart to complete the three things we think she's after."

"But why would she want them at all?" Toby asked, sitting opposite Indira.

"No idea, except for that it's in the story", Rachel responded, looking out over the others at the diner. Henry sitting two booths away was probably her main reason for keeping the conversation at such a low volume. David and Mary Margaret had joined him, trying to engage him in a conversation. In the booth behind between them were Rowan, Clarissa, Jade and Catriona, while the two tables close by were occupied by Maryse, Arianne, Miranda and Tessa. The only ones not sitting within hearing distance, at least if you talked at a normal volume, were Chris and Wolfgang, standing by the bar. Wolfgang was obviously trying to talk to his friend, but Chris gave some sour comment that made the darker boy glare at him and leave.

"I did not know Chris drank alcohol", Filipi admitted, watching him down a glass of some beverage and pull a face as it burned his throat.

"If he does then he's certainly not had whisky before", Rachel remarked, somehow managing to identify the liquid from a distance. "Damn these lost memories; if we had known what happened in the Enchanted Forest we might have been able to stop Neal from dying."

"I doubt that", Toby responded. "Emma said that Neal had only survived thanks to that Gold seemed to have absorbed him in order to save him, so she separated them."

"Separated them?" Miranda asked from the table next to their booth. "How?"

"It would seem Emma has magic", Toby responded, "though she does not use it much and has no real knowledge of what she can and cannot do."

"Do you think she's capable of breaking the bonds on our wands?" Filipi asked.

* * *

After watching Chris down his second glass of alcohol and pulling yet another pained grimace, Tessa rose from her seat and walked over to the bar, sitting down next to him. He gave her a sullen look.

"Are you here to tell me to stop?" he asked.

"That would be an added bonus", Tessa answered, "but no, I'm here to tell you to talk to the rest of us instead of sitting here alone."

"Talk about what?" Chris asked, sending a glare in her direction. "I don't even remember how he and I met or if we were friends or what could possibly make me feel this miserable about him being dead. It's not like he's anyone of you guys."

"Maybe not, but he is something to you", Tessa said, "and that's enough of an excuse to grieve his passing."

The door behind them chimed, causing her to look up and watch Hook escort Henry out. Obviously he had been assigned as the boy's protector for the day, now that they knew who he should be protected from. Tessa's eyes then stuck to Robin Hood, who had just accepted three glasses of alcohol from the bartender on Chris' right side and now, with a quick nod in their direction, moved behind them to stand left of Tessa. She followed him with her gaze and saw that the one he had been aiming for was Regina, accompanied by the unfamiliar blonde they had seen at the funeral. Robin cleared his throat.

"Care for a drink?" he asked. The blonde immediately grabbed one of the glasses, seeing as Regina seemed frozen in place by the outlaw's mere presence. Tessa wished she could move around and watch Robin's face as he spoke, but now she had to settle for trying to interpret what he was doing from behind.

"I, er, I do hope I didn't upset you yesterday."

Chris, who had been trying to down his third glass, nearly choked on the liquid as he listened in on the conversation. Tessa was glad he had not spit it out, and maybe this would keep him from drinking more. She instead watched as Regina opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish a couple of times, before looking at the blonde by her side and finally finding something to say.

"Robin Hood, Tinker Bell", she said, introducing the two. "Tinker Bell, Robin Hood."

Robin quickly put the two remaining glasses on the disk and reached out his hand.

"I've been wanting to meet you for a very long time", the blonde said as she shook it.

"And no, you didn't upset me", Regina said, seemingly struggling with words as she looked at Robin. "I just... found a clue trail that needed to be followed... one that didn't lead anywhere, but..."

She paused, looked around and eventually pointed at the glasses on the counter.

"I don't daytime drink."

"Oh, well, perhaps some evening then?" Robin suggested, before grabbing one of the glasses and walking back. Chris managed to wipe away the tears caused by his failed drinking.

"What the..."

"Shh!" Tessa ordered, kicking him to make sure he did not speak. It did not seem to help.

"But..."

"Just don't talk about it, not here, alright?" Tessa ordered. "Now come; let's go back to the others."

They had hardly risen from their seats when the door flew open by an unseen force and a woman stepped inside. She had long, wavy, ginger hair held back from her face through a loose ponytail, wore a pinstriped, grey skirt, a white shirt, black leather gloves and a black cape to protect her from the cold. In her right hand she held a dagger with a jagged blade.

This was Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West.

"My condolences", she said, putting on a sad face. Robin, who had seated himself at the other end of the bar after leaving Regina and Tinker Bell, got up at once, his hand travelling to a knife he carried in his belt.

"I'm so sorry I missed the funeral", Zelena continued, "but I could never pass up a wake. Did I miss the speeches or should I make one?"

Robin stepped closer, causing the Witch's facade to break and she grinned triumphantly in his direction before walking away, taking the route between the tables and the booths to wherever she was going.

"I mean, I am after all responsible", she said. Emma, who had been standing at the back of the diner with her parents, moved forward, her face twisted with rage.

"Emma, no", Mary Margaret said, grabbing her daughter's arm. "Too many people will get hurt."

"Listen to your mother; she's right", Zelena said. "Anyone who tries to interfere with my plans is going to have to deal with the Dark One."

She looked to her left, down at Rachel, Toby, Indira and Filipi sitting in their booth. Her lips turned upwards in a smile.

"Hello, Toby", she said. "How nice to see you again. I hope you are doing well."

Tessa thought she could hear her friend's sharp inhaling from where she and Chris were by the bar.

Zelena turned forwards again, taking a step towards the Charmings, which prompted David to push his wife behind him.

"Don't come any closer", he ordered, his hand landing protectively on his wife's pregnant belly. Zelena stopped with a smile.

"Don't worry", she said, "I'm not here for your baby. Not today, anyway."

She turned to her right, facing the bar and walking between the tables to get there. Chris quickly grabbed Tessa and pulled her with him to the side in an attempt to get away. The Witch looked amused.

"Then why are you here?" Regina suddenly asked, pushing herself up from her stool. Zelena turned, smiling widely and walking closer to her.

"Now that my cover's blown I can finally pay a visit to my little sister."

If Regina had been able to raise a quizzical eyebrow at her she probably would have.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" she asked.

"Why, you of course, Regina", Zelena responded, her voice low and threatening. Still, as everyone else in the diner had fallen silent they all could hear what she said.

"What?" Emma said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"I'm an only child", Regina said.

"Cora lied to you, Regina", Zelena said, raising her head in pride. "I'm your sister. Half, if you want to get technical."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Regina questioned.

"Oh, you shouldn't", Zelena answered. "It's a lot to swallow, which is why I brought a gift."

Regina laughed.

"I don't want a gift from you."

"Oh, but you shall have it", Zelena said, the corners of her mouth twisting upwards in a new smile as she walked closer once again. "You see, my gift to you is this sad, sad day. Use it to dig into our pasts, Regina; you need to learn the truth and you must believe it. And then; meet me on Main Street tonight, say, sundown."

"And then what?" Regina asked. Zelena's face changed at once from the triumphant grin to a mask of hatred.

"Then I'll destroy you."

Regina smiled, seemingly amused at the Witch's attempts to threaten her, and took a step closer.

"This isn't the Wild West", she said.

"No, dear; it's the Wicked West", was Zelena's response, before she turned around to face everyone else in the diner, "and I want everyone to be there to see the Evil Queen lose!"

"I don't lose", Regina remarked. Zelena giggled a manic giggle.

"Neither do I", she said and once again stepped up to Regina, "so one of us is about to make history. See you tonight, sis."

With a new giggle she walked towards the door and sent it flying open with a flick of her hand, walked outside and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.


	25. 24: Preparing for the Green Witch

**Time for some proper planning!**

* * *

Most people at the wake left shortly after, mainly due to David's orders that they had to go home and prepare for tonight. Once the "main crew" (as Jade called them) were the only ones left they seated themselves by the bar, Granny pouring Regina a glass of whiskey. David was pacing behind them.

"And you're sure Cora never said anything about her?" he asked.

"I think I would have remembered my mother telling me she had a lovechild with the Scarecrow", Regina sarcastically responded.

"It doesn't matter if Zelena's your sister or not; she wants you dead", Emma said.

"Any idea why?" Arianne asked. Regina turned to glare at her.

"I never even met her before today!"

"Doesn't mean you didn't do something to piss her off", Wolfgang remarked.

"You did mention stepping on a lot of toes back in our world", Tinker Bell pointed out. She was the newest addition to the group, sure enough, but in a way she took Robin's place as the outlaw and his men had bowed out of the meeting due to some urgent business. Catriona could only guess what that possibly meant. Regina's glare now turned towards the blonde fairy.

"Well, none of them were green."

"Then there's the missing year", Granny said, jumping into the conversation uninvited. "Maybe you did something to her then."

"Stick to the lasagne, lady", Regina responded, her voice crispy and cold. Granny crossed her arms over her chest but backed away from them, causing the Mayor to turn to the others once more.

"This is starting to sound an awful lot like you're on her side", she remarked and rose.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked.

"To find out exactly what this Witch thinks I did to her", Regina answered while putting on her black coat with fur lined, blue collar, marching out from the diner.

"Are we just going to let her go?" Filipi asked.

"No, we won't", David responded.

"I'll go with her", Mary Margaret said and stood up.

"Are you sure?" her husband asked. The pregnant woman nodded and rose.

"Yeah, I'm good."

She walked out through the door as quickly as possible and the others heard her call out for Regina once she was outside.

"Alright, me, Emma, Tink and Belle will lock down Main Street, just in case", David said, turning towards the rest of the group. "You should decide on your own what you want to do. We'll wait for you outside."

While the others left and even Granny stayed out of earshot they huddled together.

"So, what do we do?" Tessa asked.

"First; Toby, are you alright?" Rachel said. "You've not looked too well since the Witch came by."

"She spoke with me as if she knew me", he responded, his voice trembling somewhat. "What if these... connections and old friendships... what if she..."

"Woah, flashback to the _Harry Potter_-fanfic, mate", Wolfgang said.

"Please tell me you haven't started imitating Hook", Indira groaned.

"Toby, if your connection to the Enchanted Forest is Zelena I think you'd do best to stay back tonight", Catriona said. "She did not look too happy when she spoke with you, more like she wanted to rip your heart out."

"Well, since that's actually something she could do, according to the storybook, I agree", Clarissa pointed out. "Maybe you should head back to the hospital, guard Ella."

Toby considered it before he shook his head.

"No. Zelena said that all of us needed to be there tonight and she will notice if I'm missing."

"Alright, what then?" Maryse asked. "What are our options?"

"Some of us should help close down Main Street", Indira responded. "I don't know if we can help Regina with whatever she has to do, but at least we can try to make sure that everyone else is safe."

"We can help", Rachel suddenly said. They all turned to look at her; apart from the red scarf she had wound around her neck to cover the still fresh bruises the fight from two days prior did not seem to have left much of a mark on her.

"What do you mean we can help?" Wolfgang asked.

"We need to get to grips with what we might have learned in the past year, wake some subconscious memories", Rachel responded. "Indira said she managed to hit a monkey square in the chest with a knife while David was fighting it, so we must have learned something."

"I doubt such weapons will be of much use against the Wicked Witch", Miranda pointed out.

"It's at least worth a try", Maryse argued.

"Along with that we should also find someone who can break the bonds on our wands", Clarissa said. "Those we should definitely know how to use."

"Alright, so some of us should go get our wands, some should hunt down some other weapons and some should lock down Main Street", Rowan summarized. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Wait, there's one more thing", Wolfgang suddenly said. "Hook and Henry."

"You don't think Hook is capable of protecting the boy?" Tessa asked.

"I have no doubts about that, but I did hear Hook mention that he was going to talk with Henry about Neal", Wolfgang answered. "Maybe if Chris hears some of those stories as well it can help him remember something from the Enchanted Forest. Besides, I think he needs to get away from here."

"They should be long gone already, but you can certainly try to hunt them down", Indira said. "Good luck."

"Thanks", Wolfgang responded and rose, pulling Chris with him as he did.

The others soon followed out through the door where they met David, Tinker Bell and Belle. Emma had gone off to alert Mary Margaret and Regina of what they were doing. After telling the trio about their plan David directed those that would try to hunt down some weapons to Gold's pawnshop, where Belle confirmed they might be able to find what they needed. After all that was where most things related to the Enchanted Forest had ended up. Filipi, Indira, Rowan, Clarissa and Jade volunteered to collect what was needed and meet the others at Granny's later on. Toby, Miranda and Arianne were subsequently assigned to head back to the hospital and try, once again, to break the bonds on the wands or find someone who could.

"Maybe Regina could do it?" Jade suggested, but Belle shook her head.

"No. She'll need all her strength to face the Witch later."

This left Rachel, Maryse, Tessa and Catriona to help closing down Main Street, the long street running through the centre of the town.

"Question is where the fight is going to take place", Catriona remarked as they walked along.

"Somewhere with a lot of space", Belle responded. "Zelena wants an audience, after all."

"Where would that be, then?" Rachel asked, looking down the long asphalt line.

"Outside the Clock Tower", David responded after some consideration. "It's the widest of the crossroad sections."

They walked up to the building in question, pale yellow and also hosting the town's library, according to a sign on the wall. Thanks to the large, panelled clock tower residing on its roof it also made it one of the highest buildings in all of Storybrooke.

"We'll position someone there, there and there", David said, pointing up on roofs of buildings surrounding the crossroads they had now reached. "The whole street will then be covered."

"I'll talk to Blue, see if we can get..." Tinker Bell started, but was interrupted by the return of Emma and Mary Margaret.

"Zelena said no interference", Emma pointed out. "She'll probably order Gold to level half the block if we try something before she gets a crack at her sister."

"So they really are sisters?" Tessa asked.

"Regina found a letter in her vault confirming it", Mary Margaret responded.

"Where is she?" David asked.

"She disappeared", his wife sighed. "Something in the letter must have upset her."

"Should we try to find her?" Maryse asked. Emma shook her head.

"Regina was pretty clear she didn't want any help on this one."

"You want us to let her walk into this fight alone?" Rachel said, wrinkling her forehead and crossing her arms over her chest.

"No", Emma responded, "she's going to get help whether she likes it or not."

"But... you just said we can't interfere", Belle said.

"Because Zelena has Gold on her side", Emma clarified. "We need to remove him from the equation."

"How come he's on her side?" Maryse asked.

"Because Zelena possesses the Dark One's dagger", Rachel answered. "It was described in the book; the one who possesses the dagger controls the Dark One, and for quite some time now the man known as the Dark One is Gold, or Rumplestiltskin."

"And we need to get that dagger in order to give Regina a fighting chance", Emma filled in. Belle turned away from them, exasperation clear on her face. Mary Margaret did not look too positive either.

"You saw Zelena", she said, "she practically has it glued to her hand."

"Wait", Belle suddenly said, turning back towards them. "What if... what if I can get through to Rumple without the dagger?"

"How would you be able to do that?" Maryse asked. Belle smiled sadly.

"I love him, and True Love can overcome anything."

"It's worth a try", Mary Margaret agreed. "Regina can't do this alone."


	26. 25: Dark Eyes and Red Lips

It was not that hard to figure out where Hook might be heading. After all, he was a pirate, and pirates belonged on the sea and thus Wolfgang dragged Chris along to the Storybrooke docks. They found the pair they were following just as they boarded one of the boats. Wolfgang felt a slight tinge of disappointment due to the fact that it was not a real, proper pirate ship, but a regular, middle-sized sailing boat.

"Oi, mate!" Wolfgang called out as the pirate was about to climb onboard. He stopped and turned towards them, one of his eyebrows rising as it so often did when he found something that surprised or amused him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, not bothering to address them with their names.

"I just wanted to see if we could come along", Wolfgang answered. "Some fresh sea air could do Chris good."

Hook's eyes turned towards the other man.

"Honestly, he looks like he could use a good night's sleep more than this."

Wolfgang quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him slightly away from the boat.

"Chris knew Neal in the Enchanted Forest, I'm sure of it", he said, his voice low. "I heard you were going to talk to Henry about him and figured that maybe some old stories will trigger his memory, get him to come to grips with what has happened as well."

"Do you really think a sea voyage is going to help him?" Hook asked, once again raising an eyebrow. "He looks like he will throw up any minute now."

"First time on alcohol does that to you, wouldn't you agree?"

Hook blinked in surprise and a flash of recognition passed over his face before he composed himself.

"Well, if Henry says it's fine for you to come along, I don't see why not."

He waved them towards the boat where the teenage boy stuck up his head from the hatch.

"Hey mate, would you be alright if we came along?" Wolfgang asked, pointing at himself and Chris. "Reminiscing a bit about your dad somewhere away from this town would certainly make my friend here feel a lot better."

"Yeah, sure", Henry said, then turned towards Chris. "You knew my dad?"

"Sort of, yeah", Chris managed to say. "Wolf, are you sure this is a good idea? I'm going to vomit any minute now."

"Just get on the boat", Wolfgang ordered. "We'll get you a bucket when you need one."

Nick muttered something inaudible before heading down below deck, doubtlessly finding some place to lay down. Wolfgang, on the other hand, stayed above as Hook skilfully manoeuvred the vessel out of the docks. The salty air made him grin.

"I saw you at the funeral", Henry said, sitting down opposite him.

"Yeah", Wolfgang said and held out his hand. "I'm Wolfgang, Wolf for short."

"You're from Australia?"

"That's right", Wolfgang responded. "Chris is as well."

"So my father was in Australia at some point?" Henry asked. Wolfgang paused; he had walked straight into that one.

"Yeah", he eventually answered. "He travelled quite a lot, from what I heard. How much do you know about him?"

"Not much", Henry admitted. "I only found out his name now that he's dead. He and my mum used to steal things together, but then he bailed on her and allowed her to get caught and put in jail. I was born there."

"Wow, so... you never met him?"

"No", Henry answered and shook his head. "When mum and I came here I thought she was acting strange and yesterday she admitted it was because of my dad, that he was in trouble and she had come here to help him, only she was too late. She said that the reason we're staying here now is because she wants to catch the one who killed him."

"And you want that too?" Wolfgang asked. Henry nodded, his face suddenly determined.

"Yeah", he said. "Mum said he was a good man and good men should not be killed for something they did in the past."

* * *

After the appearance of the Wicked Witch at the Diner, Robin had led his Merry Men back to their forest camp. His main concern was his son, Roland, but the little boy was blissfully unaware of the danger the town was facing. Tuck offered to watch him while Robin grabbed his crossbow and set out into the woods.

Inhaling the smell of the trees around him made him feel at home. This world was a strange one and he certainly did not understand people's obsessions with all of those "electronics", or the magic carriages they called cars that spit out toxic smoke that made him want to gag. Here was where he belonged and he would be damned if he could not protect it.

His tracking senses kicked in at once when the sound of the camp disappeared behind him. He loaded the crossbow absentmindedly while continuing his journey, his senses tuned to the forest, picking up every single thing that sounded out of place.

And he did hear something that did not belong there; someone walking around not far away from where he was. He crouched down, stepping lightly as he followed the sound. A fallen tree blocked his way, but he knew for certain that whoever it was would be on the other side of it. Now he just needed to wait.

After a while the walking, or pacing, stopped and whoever it was sat down, unfolding what sounded like a piece of paper. Slowly he made his way towards the roots of the trunk, raising the crossbow as he moved towards a good-sized hole. His finger was on the trigger and he was holding his breath as he took the final step, enabling him to see who it was that was sitting on the other side.

Dark hair spilling over a blue fur collar met his gaze, along with a coat-clad back held straight in pride. He let out the breath he had been holding and lowered the crossbow, intending to leave, but she had heard him and quickly turned around, lowering the old paper she had been staring at. For a while he was only able to stare at her; pale face, red lips, dark eyes, and he knew he could not walk away.

"We have to stop meeting like this", he remarked. She quickly folded the paper and placed it in the pocket of her coat.

"Did the Charmings send you to give me a pep-talk?" she asked, before turning away from his gaze and pushing back a strand of her dark hair from her face. "'Cause I don't do well with pep-talks."

"No, nothing of the sort", he responded while walking around the roots of the fallen tree, crossbow secured and held in his left hand. "After Zelena's threat I decided to patrol the woods, in case she decided to build the ranks of her simian army."

He used his teeth to pull off the glove on his right hand while leaning the crossbow against the trunk she was sitting on, before sitting down between her and the weapon and pulling off his other glove as well.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, studying her face. She was trying her best to keep it without emotions, keep her facade up, the one he had seen cracking yesterday at the farmhouse.

"I'm not a flying monkey, if that's what you mean", she responded, refusing to look at him. He grinned and let out a silent chuckle; she certainly had her way with words, Regina.

"So are you going to tell me what's in that letter you've been staring at?" he asked. He knew it was only a guess that the paper had in fact been a letter, but once she turned her face towards him he knew it to have struck true.

"What letter?" she asked, her face still composed but her eyes somewhat anxious.

"This one", he said, holding the paper between is left index and long finger and raising it up to her face. Her eyes widened and her lips parted somewhat as she stared at it in surprise, sticking her hand down into her now empty pocket.

"I'm a pickpocket by trade; I spent many years learning how to rob from magicians", he quickly explained, before giving her a hint of a smile. She glared at him.

"You're lucky I'm saving my strength for that Witch", she threatened. His smiled widened somewhat as he glanced down at the folded piece of paper in his hand.

"I think deep down you actually want to talk about what's in there."

He met her gaze again, those dark eyes that he felt like he could drown in, although now they were definitely not looking at him with happiness. In fact she gave him an annoyed glare.

"And what makes you think you know me so well?" she asked.

"Well, for one thing I'd be charred to a crisp by now if you didn't", he responded. She stared at him, before the stone face of the Evil Queen melted away and he saw Regina again, giving him a real smile.

"True", she admitted, her voice tinged with sadness. He smiled and lowered his gaze to the paper once more, feeling warm inside once again, just like he had back at the farmhouse.

"So, can I read it?" he asked. Regina looked down at the ground, but her face did not turn completely expressionless again.

"I'm not stopping you", she responded. Gently he unfolded the old paper and started to read the squiggly letters.

"Cora, dear", he read out loud. "I finally got my hands on your firstborn. Never thought I'd find her, did you? Now I know why; she's the most powerful sorceress I have ever encountered. Even more powerful than you."

He paused and looked up at her again. Even though her face was partially turned away from him he noticed the wetness in her eyes.

"Stunning, in every way", he said, remembering the next line of the text, and he could not agree more. To him Regina was exactly that and his eyes once again looked at her lips, wishing he would not have backed out the day before, wishing he had kissed her when he had the chance. Realizing he had to say something before their current situation got awkward he cleared his throat and folded the letter once again.

"Rather complimentary, I'd say. Why is this troubling you?"

Regina kept her face away from him, but he could see how her lips parted and her tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"I've seen that letter a hundred times before", she admitted and swallowed. "In my darkest moments I'd... go to it for comfort... for solace, for... a boost when I needed it, because I..."

She swallowed again, her voice on the verge of breaking and she closed her eyes to rein her feelings in again.

"Because I always thought it was about me", she finished, opening her eyes again. He tore his gaze away from her face when realizing exactly what was troubling her about the text he had just read.

"It's about Zelena", he said, speaking quietly.

"Rumplestiltskin thinks she's more powerful than I am", Regina agreed.

"Why care what that imp thinks?" he asked, leaning over and placing his hand over hers. She jumped at the contact but did not pull away; instead she turned to face him again.

"Because if the man who taught me everything I know about magic thinks she is stronger than I am... then there is no way I can win this fight."

* * *

**More OutlawQueen! Also Wolf and Hook seem to have become quite fast friends...**


	27. 26: Red Cheek

**This is one of the shorter chapters, if I'm not entirely mistaken, but you wouldn't want to skip it for the world ;)**

* * *

Heading back to the Witch's house did not exactly calm Rachel's nerves, as all she could think about was what had happened the last time they went there, or rather what had happened on the road. Every part of her body screamed at her to turn back, but her stubbornness kept her going. She might not be the most stubborn in her family – that title certainly belonged to one of her sisters – but she was her grandfather's daughter at heart and some of his well-known stubbornness had been given to her. It was what she used to walk even though she was tired, to get back up on the horse even though she was bruised from being thrown off, and what she now used to overcome the anxiety this part of the woods made her feel.

Of course David, being Prince Charming at heart, still noticed and fell back to walk with her.

"She won't get to you again", he promised.

"I know that", she responded, "but there's no need for you to protect me."

He frowned slightly at her.

"You need to be there for Mary Margaret", Rachel continued, "not make sure that I'm safe. I can handle that myself and..."

He grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.

"Don't say it", he ordered.

"Say what?"

"Say that your friends can protect you", David responded. "Not against the Witch."

"She's after Regina and, judging by what she said at the Diner, _your _unborn child", Rachel pointed out.

"And from what we know she might be after you all as well. She kept your friends as prisoners, Rachel. You're in as big of a danger as Regina and the baby me and Mary Margaret are expecting and I'd be damned if I let anything happen to you."

"Do you want your baby to grow up without a father?" she asked. "Stay with Mary Margaret, David, and you'll both be safe. Stop worrying about me."

She moved to follow the others, who had already disappeared around the next bend of the winding path, but he grabbed her arm, pulled her back and suddenly his lips crashed down on hers. The surprising action caused her to gasp, which in turn opened her mouth and allowed him to probe it with his tongue. She felt herself melt in that moment, her arms going up to circle his neck to pull him closer.

And then reality dawned on her again and she quickly pulled back, staring at him. He stared back, chest heaving and his gaze confused. Why had he done that? Why the hell would he kiss _her_ when his _wife_ whom he loved beyond anything else was _pregnant_ with their second child, the first they would have a chance to raise together?

Not able to come up with something to say she did the second best thing; she slapped him. His hand went up to his cheek while his eyes widened in surprise, but she did not stick around. Instead she turned on her heels and walked back the way they had come, back to Storybrooke, her mind trying to figure out what the hell was going on. David would never betray Mary Margaret and she would never fall in love with him, that she was certain about. So why the kiss?

She gritted her teeth when she realized the only possible explanation.

"I'm going to kill that Witch."

* * *

Belle was, of course, surprised when David caught up with them just as the exited the wood and announced that Rachel had decided to head back. Even more surprising was the fact that his left cheek was red, as if he had been hit by something.

Still, with the Wicked Witch's house right in front of them questions about what really happened when they lagged behind could wait. Belle walked towards the entrance of the storm cellar protruding from the ground, before Emma suddenly stopped her.

"We have to check if the Witch is around", she remarked. Belle nodded, realizing the reason behind it all, but her fingers itched to open that hatch and climb down, finding the man she loved again, seeing him alive. She remained close to it while the others walked back to the house, sneaking around it, spying in through every window, searching for clues of someone being there. Belle held her breath. Please, she thought, please don't be here.

"We're clear!" Emma shouted, drawing her attention again. Emma, David, Tinker Bell, Tessa, Maryse and Catriona came rushing back to the cellar.

"There's no sign of Zelena and it looks like she's still keeping Gold in the cellar", Maryse continued. Belle turned and ran the last steps to the hatch, pulling it open and stepping down the stairs.

She stopped half-way down, peering into the cage filling half the cellar. Someone was sitting there with his back towards her.

"Rumple?" she said, her heart pounding against her ribcage. The person stiffened.

"Belle", came the response, hardly a whisper, before he spun around to face her. She jumped down the last steps and ran up to the cage door, finding that there was no lock on it.

"I've come t free you", she said, grabbing the door to pull it open. He raised his hand.

"No, leave!" he begged. "Leave!"

She stopped and he looked around, still on his knees.

"You have no idea what that witch will do if she catches us", he continued, the tremble of fear clear in his voice. She found herself unable to keep the smile off her face. It was him; he was alive.

"I'm not afraid", she said and opened the door. "You could never hurt me."

"No, it's futile!" he exclaimed, stopping her once again. There was desperation in his voice and the fear in his eyes; fear for her wellbeing.

"As long as she holds the dagger, I cannot leave", he continued, his sad eyes begging her to leave before it was too late. She would not have it; she would not leave without him. They had been separated too many times already.

"I'm not leaving without you", she said, voicing her thoughts.

"It's not worth the risk", he whispered. She could see that he tried to seal himself off from her again and reached out her hand towards him.

"Just try", she whispered. His gaze fell on her hand and, slowly, he reached out his own, letting go of the spinning wheel next to him. The moment his hand landed in hers she felt like crying; it was him, she could feel it. Still he remained seated. She caught his gaze one more time.

"You just have to believe in us", she pleaded, her voice still a silent whisper. He got to his feet, his eyes still on their linked hands, before he took a step towards her and met her gaze once more. She smiled with tears in her eyes and felt him lean closer, his breath grazing her lips.

"Run", he suddenly whispered. She frowned.

"What?"

"Run!" he ordered. "Go!"

A cackle sounded from the darkness next to the cage and Belle stepped back, releasing his hand.

"Oh, don't mind me", Zelena said with a smile, waving the dagger in front of her. "Carry on. I was just enjoying the show."

Belle glanced at the man in front of her one more time before following his orders and running up the stairs. A sound from behind told her that he was following, but not due to his own will; it was due to the Witch's command. She flung herself out through the hatch and onto the grass.

"Belle?" she heard Emma call, alerting her of which direction to head in.

"It was a trick!" she cried as she ran towards the rest of the group. "She's toying with us!"

Maryse, who happened to stand closest to where she ended up, quickly wrapped her arms around her in comfort. Emma raised her gun and David, who today had chosen to arm himself likewise, did the same as they heard someone climbing up the stairs.

The next moment Gold, or Rumplestiltskin, appeared through the hatch.

"Zelena sends a message", he said, his voice harsh but his eyes still pleading with them to leave. "She will face Regina _without_ interference! The next time you try to stop her... I will kill you."

* * *

**Things are not going as planned! I repeat; things are not going as planned!**


	28. 27: Moments in Black and White

**Alright, we've got a few more hours until it's time for the showdown. Time to check up on people. Hopefully some things are working out alright...**

* * *

When it came to weapons, the pawnshop was a treasure trove. It contained a variety of swords, knives, bows, arrows and a rack of wands made for dark magic or fairies, or both.

"So what do you think you were all using?" Jade asked as she plucked a sword from its rack.

"I'm going to go with knives", Indira responded, "considering the way I used them against that monkey."

"What about you, Jade?" Clarissa asked. Jade studied the weapon in her hands; it was long, broad and, above all, extremely heavy.

"Not a sword", she said. "At least not this one. I think I'd like a bow; I could be a good Merry Man, don't you think?"

"Question is if Robin Hood would allow you to join his crew", Rowan remarked, grinning at the shorter girl. Jade stuck out her tongue at him in reply.

"Well, let's gather up as much as we can find and bring it to Granny's", Indira said. "Be careful with the swords, though; they're sharp."

* * *

"Alright, so who could possibly help us untie these?" Miranda asked, holding one of the two bunches containing their wands in her hand. "Regina needs to save her strength for the showdown, so who else has magic?"

"Well, the fairies do", Arianne suggested.

"I'm not sure they'd be willing to help us", Toby admitted. The other two looked at him and he waved his hand at the book, still lying on one of the hospital beds of the room.

"After reading that one I'd rather put my trust in the magic of Rumplestiltskin or the Evil Queen than the fairies", he explained. "Only Tinker Bell seems to have some sense when it comes to helping people."

"Wait, the brown-haired nun at the funeral today", Miranda interrupted. "I heard someone call her Blue; does that make her the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio?"

"My point still stands; fairies are not the best people to ask for help when it comes to magic", Toby responded. The two girls, however, seemed too absorbed in the idea of finding the Blue Fairy and asking for her help than to listen to his protests about the fairies not being their best option. Still, he thought, maybe they were their only option.

"Alright, fine, we seek out the Blue Fairy", he said, silencing them, "but I don't know if she'll be happy to help us free a set of Ollivander wands."

"Why would you say that?" Miranda asked, frowning at him. He shrugged.

"I don't know", he responded. "Now let's go before I change my mind about all of this."

They set out towards the nunnery, a large, red, wooden building at the outskirts of town. Already when hurrying down the pebble road to get to the house they saw the woman they were there to find; a short, straight-backed woman with brown, neatly organized hair.

"Blue Fairy!" Arianne called out, causing the woman to turn towards the trio in surprise. As they approached she gave them a kind smile.

"Hello. What brings you three here? Has something happened to your friend?"

"No, she's... she's still in a coma", Miranda admitted. "We came to talk to you about something else."

She held out the wands in front of her and, at the sight of them, Blue's eyes instantly widened.

"Where did you get those?" she asked, her voice barely passing for a whisper.

"They're ours", Toby answered.

"The Wicked Witch took them from us", Arianne explained. "The ropes binding them are enchanted; can you help us break them free?"

Blue stared at the sticks for a bit longer before she straightened up and shook her head.

"Absolutely not."

"What?" Miranda said. "Why?"

"Because those wands were made by Ollivander and were the cause of his banishment", the fairy answered. "He should never have created the sort of magic they hold."

"He was banished for creating wands for humans?" Arianne asked with a frown.

"No", Blue responded, "he was banished for creating wands combining light and dark magic."

She started to turn away from them and Toby glanced over at his companions, seeing the disappointed looks on their faces.

"Wait", he said out loud. The Blue Fairy stopped and looked at him. Despite being more than a head taller than her he did feel intimidated by that piercing, brown stare.

"Regina is going to face the Wicked Witch tonight", he eventually managed to continue. "What if she does not make it? Won't you need something else to fight against the Witch?"

"We will be..."

"Regina and Zelena are the two most powerful sorcerers in this town and, on top of that, Zelena controls Rumplestiltskin, or Gold, or whatever his name is", Toby continued, "and he knows everything about the kind of magic they are wielding and that you are wielding. Don't you think you will need something that he does not know about, something that might be able to fight back against the Witch?"

* * *

Regina hardly had time to pull the door of her mansion open before the one who had been banging on it stormed inside.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded to know. The woman, one of those who had recently showed up in Storybrooke, did not respond instantly; instead she took to pacing in front of the grand staircase, her face set and her lips pursed. It was a look Regina knew very well.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" the woman eventually growled.

"Well, I'm assuming you're talking about the Wicked Witch", Regina responded. The woman shot her a glare.

"The question was rhetorical", she muttered.

"Why are you here?" Regina questioned.

"Because you are probably the only one who can tell me what is going on", the woman in front of her responded. Regina raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry?"

"David kissed me."

Regina stared at her for a few moments.

"Well, that's... shocking", she eventually admitted.

"We are not supposed to be kissing", the woman remarked. "He is married, expecting a baby and I am definitely not even close to being in love with him."

"So you think Zelena might have something to do with it?" Regina asked.

"It was the most logical explanation."

"Well, maybe, but magic cannot cause people to fall in love", Regina pointed out before leading the younger woman into the living room.

"We are not in love", she remarked. "He loves Mary Margaret and I see him as nothing but a friend. The kiss was something _she_ somehow caused us to engage in to drive a wedge between us."

"And since you are here telling me about it instead of talking it over with him, wouldn't you say it worked?" Regina asked. The woman sighed.

"Until it's solved, until I know whatever this spell is, I cannot trust myself to be around him. This was just a kiss; what if something else happens?"

"None of this explains why you sought me out", Regina remarked and poured a glass of her homemade apple cider to herself. "After all, you seem to have figured everything out without my help."

"I wanted to ask you if there was a way to ensure that me and David don't end up in this situation again", the woman answered. Regina blinked at her in surprise.

"You want me to cast some sort of spell that will keep you two apart?"

"Yes."

"Sorry, dear, I have a Wicked Witch to deal with", Regina sighed and took a sip of her cider. "I cannot use my magic for anything else today."

The creases on the woman's forehead slowly vanished and she took a deep breath before she nodded.

"I'm sorry, I really should not have just barged in here", she said. "You need to rest before tonight."

She was about to head out through the door to the hall again when Regina called her back.

"Wait."

Regina put her glass down on the table.

"If I look into a spell that can help you, after the fight, would you be willing to help me in return?" she asked.

"Of course", the woman answered. "What do you need?"

"I need you to find Robin Hood and ask him to meet me where we met earlier today, an hour before sundown. He will know where that is."

The woman raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, sure, I can do that", she said. "Anything else?"

"No", Regina said and shook her head. "Just... just make sure he meets me there."


	29. 28: Black Sky Over Main Street

**The sky is darkening, people! You all know what that means!**

**But first, out on the sea we go...**

* * *

Chris looked up at the dark sky above their heads. He did not care if he got cold or if he had sand in his hair; he just wanted to keep laying on this beach and forget everything that had happened back in town, along with the strange pain and connection he felt to Neal.

Of course the fact that the notorious Captain Hook stood close by did nothing to help him forget the truth.

At the moment the pirate had his back towards the rest of them, gazing up at the rising moon. Wolfgang was sitting with Henry by the fire and the younger boy was busy learning how to tie knots from a book they had found onboard the boat. Really, that was all they had done since they got here and Chris was not exactly interested. He had tried to participate at first but then he just could not do it.

"I think I've tied every knot in here", Henry suddenly said, putting down the rope and the book before looking up at the pirate, whom he did not know was a pirate. Hook did not answer; he just kept looking up into the sky.

"When do we get to the part about my dad?" Henry continued after a pause.

"Just a few moments longer", Hook said, before suddenly pointing at something in the sky. "There."

Chris sat up, trying to see what it was Hook had spotted. Wolfgang looked equally confused. Hook turned towards them and waved at Henry in particular, although his gaze also wandered over the two other boys.

"Come here."

Henry quickly got up from the log he had been sitting on and walked over to the leather-clad man. Hook then handed him a metallic object.

"What's this?" Henry asked with a slight frown.

"That, my boy, is a sextant", Hook responded. "It's a tool used by sailors to navigate."

"Like a GPS?" the young boy asked. Wolfgang snorted by the fire, which he quickly covered up by coughing. Chris felt the corners of his own lips turn up as he realized Hook had no idea what a GPS was and why Henry was comparing the sextant to one.

"Aye", he still answered, once Wolfgang had stopped coughing. "It measures our position using the stars."

He waved with his hand up at the sky and Chris squinted his eyes. If he looked hard then yes; he could see a few stars peeking out of the darkness. Obviously that was what Hook had been waiting for and the pirate was now grinning at them. This was his element.

"Not sure that's what a GPS does", Henry said, "but what does it have to do with my dad?"

"Well, I taught him to navigate with one, just like I'm going to teach you", Hook responded with another smile. Henry just looked more confused at the thought.

"Were you both in the navy or something?"

Hook's smile faltered and he glanced down at the sextant.

"No, Bae... Neal was just a boy when I taught him."

Chris frowned. This sounded familiar to him. Why did it sound familiar? Henry also frowned, but probably not for the same reason.

"Wait", he said, "aren't you the same age?"

Hook leaned back somewhat, realizing his mistake. He had just made Neal's story even more confusing to the boy in front of him.

"It seems like the more you guys tell me about my dad, less things make sense", Henry pointed out. "I don't want to learn how to navigate; I just want to hear something about him that... that doesn't make him sound like he's made up so I'll like the guy."

Hook sighed.

"Your mother isn't keeping things from you because she doesn't want you to know the truth..."

"I know", Henry interrupted, "she's doing it to protect me, but... how am I supposed to feel anything about him being gone if... I don't know what he was like when he was here?"

Hook stood silent for a while before a sad smiled crept up on his lips.

"Fair enough, mate", he said. Chris rose and walked closer, sitting down next to Wolfgang by the fire.

"What I haven't told you is why I taught your father to sail", Hook continued. "Because he'd just lost his father."

Henry's eyes widened somewhat.

"I thought the sea might help ease his sorrow", Hook sighed.

"Wait", Henry said, his tone now different than before, "he... lost his dad too?"

"Aye", Hook responded, "to something dark and evil, when he wasn't much older than you."

In the corner of his eye Chris saw that Wolfgang was glancing at him, probably wondering if the story struck a chord in him as well. Truth be told, it did; he knew this story, he had heard it before, somewhere.

"Really?" Henry now asked.

"Indeed", the pirate responded. "You see, you might not think you know much about your father... but you have more in common with him than you realize."

He gave the boy another sad smile, one that Henry after a while managed to return. The boy then looked up at the sky and raised the sextant, allowing the pirate to teach him how to use it.

"You're alright, mate?" Wolfgang asked. Chris nodded.

"Yeah. Do you think the others are?"

He glanced back over the water to the lights representing Storybrooke. The sun was down; the fight between Zelena and Regina would take place any moment now, or perhaps it had already happened. Question was if the Wicked Witch would notice that the two of them were missing from the crew.

* * *

At the crossroads beneath the Clock Tower everyone who had been at Granny's had gathered, just as Zelena had ordered, except for one crucial member of the party.

"Have you seen Regina?" Emma asked when finding Mary Margaret among the gathered. The pregnant woman shook her head.

"Not since the vault", she responded.

"If she doesn't get here soon that Witch could take it out on all of us", Tinker Bell remarked.

"Then let's get everyone out of here before that happens", David said and stepped forward, entering the centre of the circle formed by the gathered townsfolk. "Alright, listen up! We need you to get back to your..."

"No one's going anywhere."

Everyone turned around. Zelena was standing in the corner diagonally across from the Clock Tower, dressed in a long, black dress, a black cape with a fur neckline, her usual emerald necklace, green gloves, and on top of that (literally) a black, pointy hat. Clarissa would have laughed if it was not for the fact that she was very much afraid that if she did, it would be the last thing she ever did.

"This show needs an audience", Zelena now continued, walking forward into the crowd, which willingly parted in front of her. Gold trailed behind, unable to do anything else. He looked at Belle as he passed her, seemed to want to say something but his words got stuck in his throat and he averted his gaze. A short man in a hat was too terrified to move out of the Witch's way and she looked at him with disgust.

"Out of my way, munchkin."

"I'm a... dwarf", he managed to say as he hurriedly stepped aside. Zelena rolled her eyes.

"That's even worse", she muttered. Her sea-green eyes then scanned the gathered crowd.

"Where is she?" she asked, waving the jagged dagger in front of her to show her invincibility. "Don't tell me; she's a coward. Well, this isn't good for any of you. If my sister is not here in _five_ minutes, I'm going to let the Dark One of his leash."

Gold closed his eyes and worried whispers started to be heard through the crowd. Clarissa glanced at her friends, all of them now armed, but not with the weapons they had picked up at the shop. Those lay hidden back at Granny's. Instead, when Clarissa reached into the pocket of her jacket, she found her fingers closing around a familiar wooden object.

Zelena would get her fight, though maybe not with the one she had expected. However, if she tried to do anything to anyone else in this town, the twelve friends (Wolfgang and Chris were still missing) knew exactly what to do; distract and disarm.

The minutes ticked by and the Clock Tower struck half past seven. One minute later Zelena's patience ran out.

"Time's up", she said, smiling at Gold. "Who do you want to kill first, Rumple?"

"He's not killing anyone", Indira said, stepping forward. Zelena looked slightly amused and the mocking smile on her face crept even higher when the eleven others joined in as well, standing like a wall between her and the rest of the townsfolk.

"If you want to fight someone, Zelena, fight us", Maryse said.

"Sorry, dear", the Witch said. "I don't dance with amateurs."

"Oh, we're no amateurs", Jade said and pulled out her wand. The others followed and suddenly there were twelve wands of various lengths, shapes and sizes pointed at the Wicked Witch.

"So you think I'm afraid of you because you suddenly possess your wands again?" Zelena asked, smiling. "Why do you think I left them in the woods in the first place, so easy for you to find?"

She walked along the line, stopping in front of Toby. With her heels on the two were almost equal in height.

"Are you going to strike against me, Toby?" she asked, pouting at him. "No, of course not; you haven't got it in you, have you, dear?"

"_Stupefy_!"

A ray of red light soared out of the wand in the young man's hand, only to be caught by Zelena. She laughed and vanquished the spell in her hand.

"Really, dear?" she asked. "I know every spell those wands are capable of using. You and your friends are nothing but a _distraction_."

She flicked the knife forward and Gold's arm rose automatically, sending out a gust of magic that knocked Toby and five others off their feet, sending them into the crowd behind them. Clarissa stared at them before her gaze shifted forward towards Zelena again. The wand in her hand was trembling by now; maybe the advantage they thought they had did not exist.

"Anybody else want to give it a go?" Zelena asked, marching over towards her half of the group.

"I do."

Gasps were heard throughout the group as everyone turned around, facing Regina. She had a smirk on her face and walked forward with as much confidence as ever, her head held high. She wore a long, black jacket, a patterned scarf around her necks, and just like Zelena she had gloves on her hands, but Regina's were blood red.

"Didn't anyone tell you black is my colour?" she asked as she marched up towards the Wicked Witch. Zelena giggled.

"But it looks so much better on me", she said as Regina stopped in front of her. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

"I couldn't let my sister off that easily", Regina remarked. Zelena's smile widened.

"So you finally accepted me into the family?" she asked, taking a step forward. She was taller than Regina and her hat made her look even more so, but for some reason Clarissa thought Regina looked like the most intimidating of the two.

"I've accepted that we shared a mother, yes", Regina now responded, "but I still have one question..."

She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at the Wicked Witch.

"What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Zelena answered, her voice low and threatening. "You were _born_."

She spit out the last word, her face close to Regina's which allowed the red-gloved former Evil Queen to raise her hand and give Zelena a hard slap, which echoed through the empty street. When Zelena's head whipped around to face her once again there was blood trailing from a wound on her lip. Clarissa stared open-mouthed at the sight.

"I've been waiting to do that all day", Regina remarked. Zelena huffed and regained her smile.

"Rumplestiltskin can't save you now", she said, stepping closer once again.

This was it, Clarissa realized. This was when the real Witch Fight would begin.


	30. 29: Green versus Red

**Alert! Alert! Witch fight time! Witch fight time!**

* * *

They were facing each other, Zelena bending slightly forward like a predator readying for a jump. Regina was not amused and retained her regular stance; straight backed, head held high and magic tingling in her fingertips. Even if Zelena might be more powerful there was no way Regina would go down without a fight – and she had a few tricks up her sleeve as well.

"He should have chosen me", Zelena growled.

"Who?" Regina asked, never wavering in her gaze.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Zelena responded, her voice dripping with hatred. Regina's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"That's what this is about?" she asked, feeling a mocking smile creep up on her lips. "You're jealous of me?"

Zelena pulled back somewhat and Regina used the opportunity to throw her arms up in the air and use her magic to grab the traffic light dangling on a cable above their heads, sending it flying towards her opponent. The Wicked Witch reacted at once and deviated the attack, sending the object skidding along the ground. Some of the townsfolk who had gathered for the fight had to jump aside to avoid being hit by both the traffic light and the sparks it sent out all around it. Gasps and startled cries where heard from their audience and many moved further back, but none of them dared to leave the scene. Regina did not know exactly what Zelena had done before she got there but obviously something since not even the Charmings or those newcomers dared to take a stand against her now. Which was exactly how Regina wanted it as well; this was her fight and she would be damned if she allowed any of them to help her win it.

"You still don't realize what you had", Zelena said as the two sorceresses circled each other. "You never did. You got _everything_ you ever wanted and you didn't even deserve it!"

Her voice lowered to a growl once more.

"But I'm going to take it all from you!" she exclaimed and flung out her hands. Regina felt the wave of magic and tried her best to block it, but instead found herself flying back and landing on the windshield of a nearby car. Pain surged through her body but she climbed off the hood with a grunt and turned towards Zelena again. The Witch smiled triumphantly and Regina gritted her teeth. She was begging to be turned into a pile of ash.

She walked towards her opponent again and waved her hand, feeling the familiar surge of magic as her most loyal spell, the fireball, took effect. One more step and she would be able to throw it without any interference. She raised her hand and saw Zelena flick hers in response, and suddenly the magic disappeared, along with the fireball in her hand. Regina gasped. This was not going as planned. She turned towards Zelena again and saw the Witch coming closer. A green-gloved hand rose up and suddenly Regina could not breathe, or move for that matter.

"You can't beat me, little sis", she heard Zelena say as the Witch lifted her off the ground, her face turned up towards the dark sky. Forcing her gaze down she managed to catch a blurry image of her half-sister's triumphant smile.

"Everything he taught you, he taught me too", Zelena continued. "But I was the better student."

She spun around and Regina felt herself fly upwards, through the air and away from the crossroads they had used as their battleground. Something broke around her and she felt as if someone had stuck a thousand little daggers into her back before she landed on a cold, metal grate. Grunting she slowly came to her senses again and realized Zelena had sent her through the face of the town's clock. She pushed herself up on her elbows just as the green smoke signalling her sister's arrival appeared in front of her. Zelena's eyes were filled with disgust as she looked down on Regina.

"What are you waiting for?" Regina asked, trying to sound challenging as she sat up. "Kill me."

"I never said I wanted to kill you", Zelena answered. "I said I wanted to destroy you, and to do that..."

She knelt down, her face close to Regina's and her voice lowered to a threatening hiss.

"I need your _heart_!"

The next moment the Wicked Witch plunged her hand into Regina's chest and Regina struggled with the pain she felt. It was not the first time this had happened and she doubted it would be the last, seeing as she was the Evil Queen and many wanted to rip her heart out, but she hated the feeling of those fingers grappling inside her chest. Perhaps even more so now than before, considering who it was that now performed this action.

However, as she looked up she could see Zelena's triumphant smile fading as she realized that something was very wrong. She pulled her hand back out and found it empty.

"Where is it?" she yelled. Regina pushed herself up somewhat more so that their faces were even closer.

"Our mother taught me one thing", she said, feeling her own triumphant smile creep up on her lips. "Never bring your heart to a Witch Fight. Something you'd know if she hadn't _abandoned_ you."

Using whatever strength she had left she pushed Zelena back and managed to maintain her triumphant glare and smile as the Witch stumbled back.

"You haven't won, Regina", Zelena said, her voice rising to a scream. "I _will_ get your heart! I will get everything you ever had!"

She flicked her hand and, out of nowhere, a broom appeared. Regina restrained herself from huffing; of course the Wicked Witch of the West flew around on a broom.

"Not today", she instead remarked. Zelena glared at her for a few moments more before mounting the broom and flying out through the hole in the clock. Seeing her disappear Regina relaxed back against the fence surrounding the grate she was on. She heard the door leading from the library to the Clock Tower slide open.

"You alright?"

Emma's voice. Of course the Charmings would be the ones to come save her. Their steps ascended the metal stairs to her left, but she did not bother to look at them.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" she instead replied. In the corner of her eye she saw them reach the topmost level, the one she was on, and found that two of the newcomers had also come along; both of them girls, one with short blonde, blonde hair, the other of Indian descent. Regina had not bothered to learn their names.

"Gold disappeared", David said and helped her get back up on her feet. "We thought that meant..."

"She defeated me?" Regina filled in. "Hardly."

"You won?" the blonde girl asked. Regina remembered glaring at her at Granny's that same morning for questioning her knowledge of the Wicked Witch and now she gave her another one.

"Don't act so surprised", she said, before turning to look out through the hole that had once been the face of the clock. "As it turns out Zelena wanted my heart. It's a good thing I wasn't stupid enough to bring it with me."

"Your heart?" the girl of Indian descent asked. "Your actual, physical heart? Not something that the heart can be a metaphor of? Why?"

"Well, she got Charming's courage", Regina said, "and now she wants my heart. It can only mean one thing."

"She's trying to cast a curse?" Emma asked.

"What kind of curse?" the blonde girl filled in.

"I don't know", Regina answered with a shake of her head, "but I'm going to find out."

"But", Mary Margaret said, her hands moving to her swollen belly, "we're already in Storybrooke. We've already lost our memories. What else could she do to us?"

* * *

Robin had torn off his jacket long ago; the tension coursing through his body keeping him warm instead. If he held his breath and listened intently he could hear it, the soft beating of the dark heart buried beneath a few stones on the other side of the tall tree he used as his shelter.

Regina's heart.

When Rachel had appeared at the camp and asked him to meet Regina at the fallen tree once more he had not expected this to be the reason. Hell, he did not know what he had expected, but certainly not showing up an hour before sundown and watching Regina plunge her hand into her own chest, tearing out her own, glowing heart and asking him to guard it during the fight. He had been even more surprised to find himself agreeing to it without questioning her or even asking her to put it back inside of her out of fear that Zelena could do something that would break the connection between heart and owner. In fact he had just vowed to protect it with his life, earning him a sad smile from the woman in front of him before she hurried away.

He had tried to determine what was happening in town through the change of rhythm in the beats. There was a time when they had come so fast he had considered abandoning his post and rushing to her aid before they slowly calmed down again. Now the beating was a little faster than normal once more, but not so fast that it scared him.

Steps approached and he tightened his grip on the crossbow before he heard the breathing of the runner. He could recognize her even by that.

"Did the plan work?" he asked, stepping out from his hiding. She pointed the light of a modern torch at him, her face worried.

"That depends; is it still here?" she asked.

"Right where you left it", he responded and walked all the way around the tree, leaning the crossbow against it. He then knelt down in order to remove the top stones resting above the hiding place while Regina illuminated it for him, exhaling in relief.

"Then it worked. I just needed to find the one thing I had that Zelena didn't."

He reached down into the hole with his right hand and pulled out the dark, glowing, warm object. It fascinated him that it was so dark, yet rays of red light still managed to escape from its core. Regina was not all dark, he had seen that before, but this was another proof of it.

"And what exactly was that?" he now asked and raised the heart towards her. To his surprise he found that she hesitated, looking at his hand for a few moments before reaching out a red-gloved hand to take the object from him.

"My heartless mother", she responded, studying the heart intently with a slight smile. He considered her words in wonder, along with the reaction she had displayed when accepting the heart from him. In the end he decided not to inquire about it further and turned to cover the hole once more.

"My sister was right about something", she said behind his back. "She said I don't always realize what I have right in front of me."

He rose with a slight grunt and faced her. They were standing close to another again, but somehow it seemed like they were meant to do it.

"What's that?" he asked, gazing intently at her. She no longer fought to keep the Evil Queen face in front of him, which gladdened him, but she still kept a lot of things hidden. As she opened her mouth to answer and then closed it, rethinking her response, he realized this was yet another of those things.

"Just that I didn't always appreciate things", she eventually said with a slight smile. It was a multicoloured response, he knew, but it still made him feel warm inside, like he often felt whenever they were near each other. His gaze dropped to her lips momentarily; blood red, matching her gloves. She was still smiling and he managed to return it before she suddenly grabbed his hand and placed a black satchel in it. He could feel the steady beating of her heart through the fabric; of course she had not put it back in, that would be too dangerous.

"Would you mind holding on to this for a bit longer?" she asked. His lips parted in surprise.

"You're really going to entrust something so valuable to a common thief like me?" he asked, glancing momentarily at the object before meeting her gaze again. She leaned closer, a genuine smile playing on her lips.

"You can't steal something that's been given to you."

His mouth opened in surprise again. There was familiarity on those words, spoken with her voice. Had she said them to him before? Was this how she had felt when asking him if they had met back in the Enchanted Forest? His gaze dropped to her lips again and he felt like a man dying of thirst; he needed to kiss her. Damn, he would _die_ if he had to live this entire cursed life without kissing her.

She seemed to sense his thoughts and quickly turned away, releasing his hand with the satchel and starting to walk away. Not again, he managed to think before he spoke.

"You still owe me that drink."

She paused her walk, but did not turn back. Still, when she responded she could hear her smile seep through in her tone.

"Yes, I suppose I do."

* * *

**And more OutlawQueen *snickers heartily* let's just hope Robin manages to keep Regina's heart away from Zelena...**


	31. 30: Words on a White Paper

**Yep, you'll be bombarded with chapters today because I was having both internet-trouble and a meeting with my thesis mentor yesterday. So get ready!**

**With Zelena's identity revealed it's time to get some more action going into this story. Keep an eye out for the EF-chapters especially; the new characters have quite a lot to discover in the upcoming ones ;) However for this one we're staying in Storybrooke. Enjoy!**

* * *

They stayed at different places that night, half of them heading to Granny's while the other half headed to the hospital – the ones who picked the latter had all been pushed back by Gold at the stand-off. Most of them wondered if they would be able to sleep again, though; Zelena's revelation about the wands had shaken their confidence. If she had been able to read every spell the wands were capable of performing, what use would they then be to the people of Storybrooke?

"There must be something we can do", Clarissa said and lay back on the bed in the room they still used as their meeting place.

"Well, whatever that is we're probably not going to figure it out tonight", Catriona responded. "We'll meet up with the others again tomorrow and figure it all out. Right, Rachel?"

The older girl blinked and looked up from her position on the floor.

"Sorry, what?"

"What is with you today?" Indira asked. "You were perfectly alright this morning and then when we met up here again before heading down to Main Street you were just..."

"It's nothing", Rachel interrupted and turned towards Catriona again. "What were you asking?"

"Just that we'll figure this out tomorrow, right?" Catriona responded. Rachel nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Absolutely."

Voices from outside the door caused all of them to look up and Rowan, who had been leaning against said object, barely had time to move aside when Chris and Wolfgang walked in.

"You've been with Hook all day?" Miranda asked with a frown. The mentioned pirate popped his head in through the door in response.

"Yes, and they have behaved very well, so don't go too hard on them, ladies... and guy."

It was not hard to tell that most of them tried not to roll their eyes at him in response.

"Haven't you got somewhere else to be, Hook?" Indira asked. The leather-clad pirate took a step inside the room with a lopsided grin.

"Why?" he asked. "Do you require some privacy, love?"

Indira's mouth fell open in surprise and she obviously had to fight back a blush.

"Is there anything we can help you with, Hook?" Rachel asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she rose. The pirate's cheeky grin vanished as he turned to close the door.

"Alright, listen", he said, "my memories of the missing year are intact. Not that it matters since I left everyone else right after arriving in the Enchanted Forest, thus I had no knowledge of the Wicked Witch's business with everyone else until we discovered her here. There is, however, one thing that might be important for you all to know."

"And what would that be?" Chris asked.

"I came back here because of that I received a message by bird, which I believed came from Snow White", Hook responded. "There was, however, one piece of that message that always confused me."

He stuck his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It smelled of salt. Rachel accepted it and unfolded it.

"New curse, Storybrooke", she read. "Find Emma Swan, New York. Memory potion attached. WWoHP gang = danger."

Everyone stared at the small note for a few moments before turning towards Hook again.

"Why haven't you shown this to us before?" Rachel asked, her voice low but still perfectly audible.

"Because I did not know you were the ones called the _WWoHP gang_ until Chris used that exact term when discussing something on the boat with Henry", Hook responded.

"You discussed who we are with Henry?" Rowan asked, turning towards the ginger boy.

"No, not _who_ we are", Chris responded. "I'm not stupid. I found out Henry liked _Harry Potter_ so I told him we'd visited WWoHP in Orlando. Of course I had to make some stuff up since we never finished our visit there, but it was a good topic on the road home."

"But what does it mean?" Catriona asked. "Does it mean that we are a danger to this place? Should we be locked up?"

"No", Hook responded, "my belief is that you are _in_ danger. The Witch wants things from the people she brought here; revenge. This means she wants something from you all as well."

As silence settled in the room the pirate nodded in farewell and disappeared out through the door once more.

"Well", Wolfgang said after a while, "that's a cheerful way to end the evening."

* * *

Despite the force of Gold's magic when she knocked them off their feet, none among the affected had suffered from more than scrapes and ripped clothes. Along with a lower self-esteem, of course; they had expected this to be when they defeated the Wicked Witch and instead found that she had been playing with them this entire time.

Not having memories of the past year when they had obviously dealt with said Witch back in the Enchanted Forest did, for a lack of better word, suck.

The six people affected by Gold's blast, meaning Toby, Maryse, Arianne, Filipi, Jade and Tessa, were all mulling over this very annoying fact in the room which also held the still unconscious Ella. Doctor Whale had been monitoring her throughout the day and had announced that there was no decrement when it came to her coma state, but on the other hand there was no improvement either.

Jade absentmindedly flicked her wand around while causing various objects to float in the air.

"Jade, please stop", Toby sighed.

"What, stop using magic now that I finally know I can use it?" Jade asked and sat up on her bed. "No way! How can you even say that?"

"Because Zelena has a thing for him and it's uncomfortable", Filipi responded. Toby bolted out of bed.

"Of course I'm uncomfortable with her!" he exclaimed. "She's the Wicked Witch and she's... she's..."

"She's somewhat like the Huldra", Tessa admitted. "I mean; red hair, flirty behaviour towards Toby..."

"Stop it!" Toby begged, his voice betraying just how uncomfortable he was with their current situation.

A knock on the glass door leading into the room interrupted them, however. Arianne, who had been sitting on the bed closest to the corridor, rose and opened the door for their visitor; Ruby, the waitress from Granny's and also the counterpart of Red Riding Hood.

"Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting anything", she said.

"No, you are definitely not", Toby said and, with a final glare at Tessa, sat down on his own bed. Ruby smiled as if she knew exactly what was going on, but before anyone could ask her about it she opened the big bag she had carried on her shoulder.

"I brought these", she said and pulled out a set of mobile phones, still in their casings but of an older model. "There were only six in the store, but it's better than having just Emma's old one to split between fifteen people."

"Ruby, you are a saint", Maryse said with a wide grin while Toby exclaimed a phrase in Latin.

"No problem", Ruby said with a smile of her own. She then glanced over at the bed holding the unconscious girl.

"Nothing yet?" she asked.

"Nope", Filipi responded with a sigh. "Nothing at all."

"She'll come around", Ruby said and walked over to the bed. "I know she will."

She gave the others a comforting smile and momentarily placed her hand on her namesake's shoulder. A moment later the previously unconscious woman sat up in the bed while inhaling a deep breath, causing the others in the room to jump and yelp and shout in surprise. Ella slowly leaned back against the pillows of her bed while regaining control of her breathing. Then, she opened her eyes.

"Red?" she asked, eyeing the waitress. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Wait, what?" Jade said and jumped down from her bed. "What are you... what?"

"Why are you calling her Red?" Arianne asked.

"Because it's her name?" Ella responded, frowning. "Red Riding Hood, nicknamed Red?"

"Yes, but how come you even _recognize_ her?" Toby inquired. Ella looked around at her friends with an ever deepening frown.

"Because I met her in the Enchanted Forest, where all of you also were?"

"Am I the only one who's really confused about all of this?" Tessa exclaimed. "How can you even remember the Enchanted Forest?"

Ella looked around at all of them once more.

"You don't?"

* * *

**SOMEONE'S REMEMBERING, PEOPLE! SOMEONE'S REMEMBERING!**

**Also do check out the "sister-story" **_**The Dark Ages**_** if you want to find out about Toby's adventure with the Huldra, because I'll keep referencing that X)**


	32. 31: Black Shield

**It's time for an EF-chapter. Missed those, haven't we? And as I said; action is coming your way in these.**

* * *

_7 Months Prior_

_Unknown forest, Enchanted Forest_

The fire was burning in the centre of their small camp, happily eating away at the wood they had collected. Their horses had just finished their evening meal and had started to doze off in the crisp, clear night. The temperature would surely drop even more during the night. Luckily they had been urged to bring warm clothes with them for the journey, along with thick blankets to sleep on and beneath, but it was still quite a different way of spending the night than the comforts offered back at the Dark Palace.

"So do you think we can find him?" Filipi asked. "This notorious pirate captain that they all want us to seek out?"

Wolfgang offered her a half-grin.

"Well, there's no point in not trying, is there? Seeking out Captain Hook is not something you're told to do every day."

Filipi nodded and nibbled on a piece of hard bread. Wolfgang's gaze drifted back to the flames burning in between them. The last few days back at the castle had been hectic. First they had discovered who Ollivander really was, then Rachel, Miranda and Prince Charming had disappeared. Upon their return they also brought two newcomers; Princess Rapunzel and Ella, one of the members of their admin group who had somehow been transported to the Enchanted Forest despite not being present in Orlando. Rachel had been injured and, although Ella had managed to heal her injured back, she was now hospitalized, something that she joked would make her think twice before going on a reckless streak again.

It was two days after their return that Prince Charming had asked for volunteers in tracking down a famous pirate captain, Hook, who had been with them when they returned to the Enchanted Forest after their "adventure" on Earth but left soon thereafter. As Wolfgang had felt bored to death in the palace he had quickly offered to lead the search and had been pleased when Filipi stepped up as well. Out of the Hufflepuffs she was certainly the one with the most reckless streak and when tracking down a pirate captain such a trait might be a good idea.

They had spent the first night at an inn at the edge of this vast forest. Their reason for going in this direction was that there had been reports on people being robbed by an unknown gang of bandits deep in among the trees and they both figured that with a bit of persuasion – maybe through the use of magic – they could get these bandits to tell them where to find the pirate. Rumours and news did travel quickly in the underground world, after all.

Wolfgang was about to speak again when one of the horses suddenly raised its head and snorted, sniffing the air as if picking up a familiar scent. Filipi noticed it as well and they both sat in silence for a while before hearing the faint neighing of another horse.

"That way", Filipi whispered and put the fire out with a flick of her wand, then making sure their horses would stay secured until one of them returned. They then started to make their way in the direction of the nearby forest road.

As they neared it they heard the sound of hooves thundering across the ground and then pulling to a sudden halt as a sword was pulled from its sheath.

"And just who might you be?" an authoritarian voice asked. Wolfgang knelt down and pulled Filipi with him as a carriage escorted by four riders came into view down on the path. Their way was blocked by a single knight, his helmet obscuring his identity. He held a sword in his right hand and an unmarked dark shield in his left.

"I'm the man who's going to relieve you of that chest full of gold you're transporting", the knight answered, his voice muffled somewhat by the helmet. His accent was, however, British. The lead rider let out a loud, mocking laugh at the statement.

"You and what army?" he then asked. The knight cocked his head somewhat to the right.

"Well I'm glad you asked", he said. He then raised his sword and suddenly small fires appeared among the trees all around the road. Fires burning on the tips of possibly thirty arrows. From their position further up the hill Wolfgang and Filipi could see that these arrows and their bows were not held by real people, however; only life-size straw puppets. From the road, however, the sight must have looked like a perfect ambush.

"Your choice", the knight said as the men in the escort worriedly looked around to seek a way to escape. "Save your lives or the gold."

It did not take long for the four riders and the carriage's one driver to choose.

"Retreat!" one of them called and turned, leaving the carriage and its horses on the road. As the men disappeared the knight sheathed his sword and removed his helmet.

"Smee!" he called. From the bushes close to the burning arrows three other men slowly rose. One of them, a stout man in a red, knitted cap hurriedly walked up to the man on the road. The knight looked annoyed.

"Those arrows took a lot longer to light than discussed!" he exclaimed. His accent had now changed; it no longer held the posh British tone, but a rough accent reminding the still hidden pair of Irish.

"It wasn't easy lighting all of them by ourselves, Captain", the man in the red cap, Smee, said. Wolfgang and Filipi turned to look at each other, both with their eyebrows raised. Captain? Had the knight just been called Captain?

"Maybe if we had an actual army..." Smee continued, looking expectantly at the man called Captain. This man suddenly gave a cocky grin.

"And share the spoils?" he said and scoffed. "I think not."

He led the way up to the carriage while Smee retrieved a pair of keys from the driver's seat.

"I got to say", the man in the red cap said while fumbling with the keys, "it's good to be at your side again, Sir, and not as a rat."

He unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow the two still silent men to walk up to the carriage to retrieve its hidden goods.

"Well, that's a lovely side effect of the curse breaking for you, I'd imagine", the man in armour said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I did like the mobility", Smee responded, while their two comrades pulled out a closed chest from the insides of the carriage, "but being a human is good, too."

When the chest was placed on the ground, Smee used a small pollaxe to cut the lock to pieces and flip the lid open. Even from a distance Wolfgang and Filipi could see the gold, pearls and jewels hidden inside. The captain grinned again at the sight.

"What did I tell you, mates?" he said, his voice loud. "You don't need a ship to be a pirate."

He laughed and his men soon joined in, before they hoisted the treasure back onboard the carriage. The captain and Smee seated themselves inside the carriage as well, while the two other men climbed onto the driver's seat and clashed the reins, causing the horses to move forward.

"So", Wolfgang said when they were gone and the fires on the arrows dwindled, "that was Captain Hook, wasn't it?"

"Is that what you call a jackpot?" Filipi retorted.

"Not if we lose them", Wolfgang countered and rose. "Come on."

They hurried back to their camp and used magic to put their things back behind their saddles, before getting up on their horses and trotting back down to the road. The tracks from the carriage were easy to follow in the mud and they soon turned down a rarely used side-road. It, in turn, led them to a small town with grey, wooden houses on the edge of the forest.

"Bandit town", Wolfgang quickly nicknamed it as they saw the wary eyes every inhabitant they passed gave them.

"Do you think it's clever to say that out loud?" Filipi silenly asked.

"What else should we call it? Sunshine village?"

Filipi rolled her eyes at him before pointing out the carriage they had been following. It was being led away by an unknown man, apparently already sold, along with its two horses. Turning in the other direction they spotted one of the men from the forest, one of those that had not spoken. He was biting a gold coin as if to check that it was real before he, with a toothy grin, opened a door nearby, letting out a stream of sounds and smells. A tavern, no doubt.

"Let's secure the horses and head inside", Wolfgang suggested and jumped off, tying the reins of his horse around a pole. While keeping his wand hidden up his sleeve he then made sure that no one would be able to steal anything loaded onto the horse's back or the horse itself, or cut the pole to steal it for that matter. In the corner of his eye he could see Filipi doing the same.

He entered the tavern first and instantly felt the urge to remove his thick cloak; the air inside the small house made it feel warmer than in the hottest desert back on Earth. Their entrance went seemingly unnoticed as right when they entered they heard Smee give a loud shout.

"To Captain Hook!"

In response, every man and woman in the tavern raised their goblets, glasses and tankards, cheering loudly before gulping down whatever liquid they had ordered.

"Can I get you anything, sir?" a voice suddenly asked, drawing Wolfgang's attention. Next to him, almost entering his personal space, was a woman with tanned skin and dark hair, batting her long eyelashes at him.

"Two tankards of mead", Filipi cut in, "and make it fast."

The woman glared at her momentarily before walking away, swaying her hips.

"I don't drink", Wolfgang pointed out as his companion pulled him towards an empty table not too far from where the pirates sat.

"You better do now", Filipi responded. "We're in bandit town, remember?"

Wolfgang winced before glancing over at the pirates. Suddenly he noticed that one of them was missing, and not just anyone; Hook.


	33. 32: A Mermaid with Red Hair

**A direct continuation of the previous chapter, only with a different perspective; Filipi's instead of Wolfgang's ;) And yes, Filipi, aka Fili, is a girl.**

* * *

"Where did he go?"

Filipi looked up briefly, following Wolfgang's gaze to the pirates' table.

"His men are still here", she said. "He'll come back, don't worry."

Wolfgang did not look convinced, but in that moment the young woman they had ordered from earlier approached their table.

"Last order for tonight, Sir", she said, batting her eyelashes at Wolfgang in an overly suggestive manner. Wolfgang opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, unable to form a coherent sentence as a response.

"Sorry, girl, not this time around", Filipi said, coming to his rescue. "We're not here for that kind of entertainment."

The girl gave her another glare, probably thinking that Filipi was after Wolfgang herself. Filipi fought back an amused smile; if she only knew.

"It's not poison", she then pointed out when Wolfgang suspiciously eyed his tankard. To prove it she downed a mouthful of her own drink. The dark mead was sweet and bitter at the same time, probably spiced with various forest berries. It might not be the best drink to serve someone who had never had alcohol before, but she doubted they would be able to get anything else at a good price in this place.

Wolfgang tentatively grabbed the handle of his tankard and sniffed the beverage.

"Remember where you are", Filipi pointed out once again. At that he took a deep breath and raised the tankard to his lips, downing a mouthful. His face then twisted in a grimace and he coughed at the taste.

"That's terrible", he hissed.

"Believe me; you could have had worse", Filipi responded with a shrug. She held her tankard in her right hand while looking around the tavern, eyeing its guests with as much suspicion as they eyed her. At least their clothes were not branded with any royal mark, she reflected, but they were still strangers and strangers were not welcomed with open arms in towns like these. In the corner of her eye she saw Wolfgang take another sip of his mead and fighting back another grimace.

"Better?" she asked when he downed a third.

"A bit", he muttered. She noticed that he was already starting to show signs of being affected by the drink and suspiciously eyed her own tankard; apparently the mead was stronger than she had anticipated.

His mood darkened while he continued to drink and by the time he had finished the tankard even Filipi did not dare to engage him in a conversation. As the tavern had closed its business for the night many of the others in the room had started to leave and Filipi saw that two of the pirates from Hook's company was among the people exiting the door. Smee, however, remained behind, having fallen asleep by their table.

"Where is that bloody pirate?" Wolfgang growled and moved to stand.

"Get back down", Filipi ordered. "You're drunk."

"You bet I'm drunk! Thanks to you, that is."

Filipi fingered her wand, secured on the inside of her sleeve with only the tip touching her palm. She would be fully capable of knocking him out and ensuring that he slept until he felt better again, but that would mean revealing themselves to the few people still at the tavern.

In the end the decision was made for her as a man burst in through the door and looked around, his eyes sticking on her.

"There she is!" he called. "The witch!"

She cursed her pale complexion; it definitely stood out from everyone else she had met so far and made her very recognizable.

"She bewitched her horse", the man continued. "I saw it myself and now the animal won't even budge when asked to move over."

"Oh please", Wolfgang grunted. "It's an anti-theft spell. You tried to steal our horses, didn't you?"

The man blinked in surprise; obviously he had not seen that Filipi had had a companion. Wolfgang now stumbled forward so that he stood in front of the man, drawing his wand and pointing it at his opponent.

"So much for keeping this a secret", Filipi groaned and rose as well. When flicking her wand Wolfgang looked like he had been hit in the head with something, before falling onto his back, snoring as loudly as Smee in the far corner.

"Count yourself lucky", she told the shocked thief in the doorway. "I could have used a far worse spell on you instead."

This caused the man to quickly spin on his heel and nearly walk straight into the tall, leather-clad pirate captain who had suddenly appeared in the doorway. He seemed distraught and did not even pay the man, or Filipi or Wolfgang, any attention. Instead he walked back to the table where Smee was sitting.

"Rise and shine, you bilge rat!" he called, kicking the table and waking the sleeping man. The captain sat down opposite him.

"No offense, Mr Smee."

"None taken", the newly woken Smee said, straightening up and adjusting his red cap. "I keep dreaming of cheese..."

His eyes then met the captain's, realizing that something was up.

"What is it?"

"I know who has the _Jolly Roger_, and we're going to take her back", the leather-clad pirate answered. Smee suddenly grinned and pulled out his pollaxe again.

"Whose funeral shall we be attending, Sir?" he asked. In response his captain ran a knife into the table between them, leaving it standing straight up. Even from a distance Filipi could see that there was an engraved metal plate on the shaft, probably carrying an insignia.

"Blackbeard", the captain said, his voice a tense whisper. Smee's grin faltered at once.

"Blackbeard? But... he's the most cutthroat pirate ever to hoist a sail... after you, of course."

"Which will make it all the more satisfying when I take my ship back and make him walk her lovely plank", the captain pointed out, his voice harsh. Filipi discreetly waved her wand again and Wolfgang grunted on the floor and rubbed his face as the spell lifted.

"Why do I feel like throwing up?" he asked.

"Because I sped up your body's ability to burn alcohol, creating an early hangover", Filipi responded and knelt down next to him, grabbing his arm. "Come on, let's get you back up on your feet."

"I'd rather lie down."

Filipi rolled her eyes, even though he could not see it.

"He's back, just so you know", she said and rose, leaning against the bar while catching up on the conversation. The pirate captain, the notorious Captain Hook with his signature silver hook replacing his left hand, was now leaning slightly forward on the table, pointing with his whole (right) hand at Smee.

"I haven't been myself since we returned", he said, his voice close to a whisper and Filipi had to strain her ears in order to hear him. "I should have realized the reason why; it's because I don't have _her_."

"Her?" Smee said, looking somewhat amused. "You talk about the vessel as though she's a woman."

"Women come and go, Mr Smee, but a pirate's life is forever."

The door of the tavern opened and a young woman with red hair stepped inside, eyes sticking to the pirates. Careful not to step on Wolfgang, who was in her way, she started to walk towards their table.

"Still, Captain", Smee said, "I doubt we could even find Blackbeard..."

"Don't be a coward!" Hook bellowed, before lowering his voice again. "I know where he moors his vessels; it's less than a day's trek. And then I'll have my ship again."

"And I will have my prince", the red-haired woman said, having reached the table. Hook leaned back on the bench he was sitting on and gave her an annoyed look.

"Few people have held a dagger to my throat and lived to tell the tale", he pointed out. "I'd leave before I change my mind."

"No", the woman responded, her voice demanding. "I've crossed paths with enough pirates to know your code; any valuable information a pirate captain ascertains shall be compensated in equal favour."

Smee looked down momentarily before glancing at his captain.

"I think she's right", he mumbled. Hook turned towards him again, undoubtedly giving him a sharp glare. The woman, however, smiled triumphantly.

"So", she said and adjusted her vest, "when do we leave?"

Wolfgang grunted on the floor once again.

"Alright, that's it", Filipi groaned and leaned down to pick him up. "Outside, now, before you throw up on everyone in this damn tavern."

While rising to her feet, with Wolfgang's arm around her shoulders, a hook suddenly slammed into the wooden bar in front of her. She jumped slightly before looking up into the face of Captain Hook. His sharp blue eyes glared at her.

"Off to give your captain some information, are we?" he asked.

"What?"

"Don't you think I know the looks of someone who has been eavesdropping on me?" the pirate asked and stepped closer. "Your mate is even feigning his hangover to give you an easy escape, but I'm sorry, love; that's not going to happen."

"You bloody pirate", Wolfgang grunted before raising his hand. Filipi opened her mouth to tell him off but the next moment Hook flew back out through the door and landed on the street.

"Really?" Filipi said and let her companion down on a chair, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at him. "Why the hell was that necessary?"

"He was giving me a headache", Wolfgang responded and leaned back with his eyes closed. Filipi held back the urge to slap him and walked out through the door. Hook was still on the ground and she held out her hand to help him up.

"What the hell was that?" the pirate asked.

"Some way to avoid a hangover", Filipi muttered and shook her head. "First time on alcohol does that to you, wouldn't you agree?"

Hook grabbed her hand and pulled himself up right, regarding her with as much suspicion as any of the others they had encountered.

"Blackbeard would never hire a witch to spy for him", he remarked. "Who do you work for?"

"I don't work for anyone", Filipi responded and crossed her arms over her chest. "Me and Wolf, that's my friend in there, are here with a message from Prince Charming and Snow White."

Hook's gaze darkened.

"I told them that I wanted nothing more to do with their dealings", he said and marched past her.

"Well, they still wanted to send you a message", Filipi called. "Just to see that you were fine with your new life and, if you weren't, you would be welcome back at the Dark Palace."

"As you might have heard, love, I just found out where my ship is located", Hook responded, turning to give her a lopsided grin. "Why should I ever want to leave this life?"

"I'm not asking", she pointed out. "I'm just delivering the message."

"Hook?" the red-haired woman said, appearing in the door of the tavern. "When are we leaving?"

Filipi caught the annoyed look on the pirate's face before he once again turned to walk away.

"At first light!" he called over his shoulder, before blending in with the darkness. The red-haired woman looked pleased and turned to face Filipi.

"Hi", she said with a wide smile, "I'm Ariel."

Filipi's eyes widened somewhat.

"You're Ariel?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be... you know, a mermaid?"  
"Oh, I am", the woman responded, "but I can be human as well nowadays."

"And Hook is going to help you find your prince?"

"Yes", Ariel said with a nod. "Are you and your friend coming with us?"

Filipi considered it for a while. It was either heading back to the Dark Palace or they could join in on finding the famous pirate ship, the _Jolly Roger_. Despite thinking that Hook would not enjoy seeing them as part of the company she eventually nodded.

"I guess we are."


	34. 33: Silver Chain

**Back in Storybrooke again, then. Hope you don't mind, but things are happening here as well, you know.**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Rachel rubbed her eyes for the millionth time as she walked up the stone path leading from the road to the Mayor's white mansion. Sleep had not been easy to find that night; with Ella waking up and still having at least partial memories from their adventures in the Enchanted Forest sleeping had definitely not been a priority. Unfortunately Ella had not been able to remember everything they needed; in fact her memories only covered the first months they had spent in the Enchanted Forest, a time she had spent alone as she had ended up in a completely different place than the others. The memories she had retained after meeting everyone else were jumbled and misty, making it quite difficult to figure out what had happened during the time they had all spent together. Her meeting with Red Riding Hood had, however, happened before she had joined the rest of the group, which was why she had recognized her upon waking up.

Rachel knocked on the white door marked with the number 103. It did not take long before Regina opened it.

"Ah", the Mayor said and stepped aside, "please, come in."

Rachel stepped inside the mansion, for the second time in less than a day. While last time she had been anxious and frustrated, this time she was nervous.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, trying to get a conversation started. Regina looked amused.

"I am quite fine", she said and led the way to the same room they had talked in the previous day, "but you are not here to check up on me."

"After the showdown yesterday it felt like the best way to start the conversation", Rachel pointed out. "You were thrown through the face of a clock, after all."

Regina poured two glasses of a sparkling liquid and handed her one of them. After sipping it she determined that it was apple cider.

"Magic is an advantage when it comes to healing", the Mayor pointed out while sitting down in a couch. Rachel placed herself in the one on the other side of the low mahogany table.

"Speaking of which", Regina continued, "it would seem you and your friends do not have the higher ground when it comes to magic and Zelena."

"Well, we should have expected that", Rachel sighed. "The wands were placed in a highly accessible location and even though they were bound together by magic it was quite a simple spell. Deep inside I think we all suspected that something might be wrong, but we didn't want to believe in it."

Regina pursed her lips somewhat, before taking a sip of her own drink.

"The spell she cast on you and David seems to have been a temporary one", she eventually said. "There are no remains of it on either of you as it is right now."

"I don't trust that it will stay that way", Rachel pointed out. "If she can do it once, why not do it twice?"

"I see some of you are not as dumb as you look", Regina said with a hint of a smile.

"Toby is already freaking out about us not using our brains as we should, so I figured I might give it a go once more", Rachel responded and downed the remains of her drink. Regina finished hers as well and rose.

"Well, if you are still adamant on keeping David away from you this should help."

From a shelf she pulled down a silver chain bracelet. She held it in her hand for a few moments, concentrating on it and eventually it glowed purple. At that point the Mayor quickly fastened it around Rachel's right wrist. It felt unnaturally cold against her skin.

"This spell should keep David and you apart", Regina said, "but only for as long as you want to keep it up."

"Do I have to wear it constantly or..."

"No", Regina interrupted, "although I would recommend you do. It's been tuned to you and will work just as well even if you leave it behind somewhere. Possible attraction spells won't work against it, only your own free will. If you decide, on your own, that you do not want this spell to work anymore, simply speak his name in your head four times, with the fourth time being a reversal."

"So the final should be Divad?" Rachel asked with a frown. Regina nodded.

"Exactly."

* * *

After sending Rachel away, Regina proceeded to pack a small bag of ingredients. Since Zelena seemed to have displayed a certain interest in the Charmings' unborn baby she had promised to place a protection spell around their apartment, but this spell needed to be one that could not be broken by blood magic. It would require some experimenting, but Regina was certain that she would be able to get it done.

Upon reaching the small apartment she found the floor littered with the parts of a crib. Mary Margaret was sitting in a chair, looking less than amused, while David and Emma were trying to decipher the instructions. After a quick greeting, Regina placed her things on the table and took out the ingredients she believed would work best for this task, before walking back out through the door. The thinness of the wood allowed her to hear the continued conversation inside the apartment.

"I've seen enemy battle plans that were easier to decode than this", came David's voice.

"Let me see", Emma responded and the soft rustle of paper implied she had taken the instructions from her father. Regina poured the first of her ingredients into a small bottle before continuing to listen.

"All right", Emma said, "it says take screws E, with washers D, through bar C, using wrench F, which is..."

She paused.

"Not provided."

The annoyance caused Regina to smile. It would certainly be easier to assemble the crib using magic, or better yet; conjure an entirely finished crib out of thin air. She doubted the Charmings would allow that, though, and even though they were now on good terms she still enjoyed hearing them struggle through something that she felt she could have done with ease.

"Why don't you just call Marco?" Mary Margaret asked, referring to the counterpart of Gepetto. "He's really good at this sort of thing."

"No!" both Emma and David responded. Regina finished adding her ingredients and spun the bottle a couple of times to mix them together.

"Should we even be doing this?" Mary Margaret continued. "Ever since the showdown between Regina and the Wicked Witch we haven't seen Zelena or Gold at all; shouldn't we be focusing on her next move?"

Regina poured the mixed ingredients out in front of the threshold and saw how they glowed before sinking into the ground. It caused her to smile; the spell had been successful.

"We are", Emma responded while Regina rose and moved to walk back inside. "We just can't stop living."

"And this crib is a statement", David filled in, just as she entered the apartment. "We're not going to lose another baby."

"And thanks to me you won't", Regina said with a small smile as she closed the door. "I'm finished."

"So, did it work?" David asked and rose. "Were you able to put up a new protection spell?"

Regina removed her red gloves as she looked at him with a victorious smile.

"One that cannot be undone by blood magic. Which means Zelena won't be able to put her hands on that baby."

Mary Margaret let out a relieved sigh and smiled a genuine smile while Regina sat down on a chair by the table, busying herself with putting the ingredients she had not needed to use back in her bag.

"Any idea why she would want to?" Mary Margaret suddenly asked.

"The number of spells involving baby parts would surprise you", Regina responded and saw how Mary Margaret worriedly touched her swollen stomach. "That greenie is clearly one twisted witch, but as long as we're in here, we're safe."

"That's useless", Emma said from her position on the floor. "I think we need to stop playing defence and start taking the fight to her."

Regina felt as if the blonde had offended her and spun on the chair to face her.

"Did you not see how I barely outwitted her yesterday?" she asked. "She has magic, _powerful_ magic."

"I have magic too", Emma responded. "You've seen me use it. I just can't always control it. But if we teamed up, if you... taught me..."

"Now why does this feel so familiar?" Regina asked, thinking back on their adventure in Neverland a year prior when she had tried to teach Emma how to control her magic but instead caused the blonde to lash out on her and vow to never use magic again.

"I'm ready this time", Emma now said. Regina chuckled.

"Okay", she said, not believing those words for a second, "but if we do this, we do this my way."

She rose and closed her bag, still smiling amusedly at the blonde.

"This isn't drinking stale coffee at a stakeout or whatever you did as a bail bondsperson. This..."

She placed her hand on top of her bag, which Emma knew to contain spell ingredients.

"This is a way of life", Regina continued. "You have to fully commit to it."

"Not a problem", Emma responded, her face set with determination. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes at her daughter, while David seemed to resign to whatever Emma's plan was. Regina knew herself that the blonde Saviour was stubborn, but she had at least believed that her parents would try to stop her from taking this path in life. When they did not she picked up her bag from the table.

"Meet me at my vault in an hour", she said, receiving a nod in response from Emma before she walked out through the door.

* * *

**So Ella's remembering bits and pieces of the missing year, Rachel's decided to use a charm to keep David away from her and Regina's going to teach Emma magic. Good start of the day!**


	35. 34: By the Blue Sea

**More chapters coming your way! Might not be posting too many this upcoming week as I have to finish up my thesis, hence why I'm trying to share as many as possible right now. SB-chapter and from the point of view of our favourite pirate ;)**

* * *

If there was one thing Killian Jones longed for it was the freedom of the ocean. That was why he kept to the Storybrooke docks whenever he was not busy searching for, or fighting, the Wicked Witch. However, he also knew perfectly well why he did not just take any of the available ships and sail away from the small town. He was not a man who gave up on a promise and even if this promise had only been to himself he was not going to leave until he saw that the people in this town that he had come to care about were safe, something that applied to one person in particular.

"Captain Hook!"

He did not bother turning; he knew the voice all too well. After all, he had spent a few hundred years in Neverland with this man.

"It's about time, Mr Smee", he instead said as the man in the red cap approached. "You know how much I abhor waiting."

He turned and gave the man a quick glare before walking along the pier.

"What was it that's so urgent?" he asked over his shoulder. Usually he would spend this time alone, but today his trusted sailor had asked to meet him here to discuss some matter or another. Killian hoped it did not involve rats or cheese.

"It's just", Smee begun and hurried after him, "me and the men were talking about how we haven't seen much of you since we all ended up back here."

Killian smiled in mock amusement.

"Is there a point to that rather odd observation?" he asked and stopped, turning to face the stout man. Of course he had not spent time with his men; he had been busy helping Emma and the Charmings with the investigation. Also he much preferred their company to that of his pirate crew; they provided other topics to discuss than what to steal and what to leave. Neal's death had also provided a valuable excuse to stay away, as unwelcome as that event had been.

"What's keeping us from crewing up again?" Smee asked, gazing out at the sea with the same longing that Killian often felt himself. "Hitting the high seas, getting back to pirating..."

"You mean other than being attacked and turned into flying monkeys?" Killian asked, cocking his head slightly. "Have you forgotten; there's no safe passage out of this town. You've already been a rodent, Mr Smee; does life as a simian interest you as well?"

That, of course, was a reference to what had happened to the man in the red cap during the last curse, when he had tried to trick Mr Gold and the man had responded by turning him into a rat. At the moment Killian had been too caught up in his desire for vengeance to care.

"Of course there's a safe passage", Smee now said as they started to walk again. "We could outrun them."

"Not with that torso of yours."

"If we had a fast enough ship", Smee continued, urgency clearly visible in his voice. "The _Jolly Roger_, for instance. You still haven't told me whether you found her during the time none of us can remember."

Killian felt his mood sour. Of course it would come back to that; the fact that the members of his crew had not been with him when the curse had hit and had all been taken here, minus their memories, while he still held those to himself. Honestly he was not keen on talking about it; his memories of the past year still haunted him as the decisions he had made were not the ones he should have made.

"What happened during that time isn't important", he now said. Smee, however, did not drop the subject.

"You remember. Is our ship okay? What happened to it?"

"_My_ ship", Killian corrected. "All you need to know, Mr Smee, is that the _Jolly Roger_ isn't here. So there'll be no outrunning of anything."

"What if we found another ship?" Smee then asked, pointing at the ones by the pier. "Any of these..."

"Mr Smee", Killian interrupted, "I've tried to let you down easy. Now let me be more direct."

He took a step closer to the man, towering over him. If he had been wearing his hook he would probably have poked it against the man's chest as a threat.

"I have no intention of leaving this town", he continued. Smee blinked in surprise.

"Captain, I agree with you; this place has its bright spots. I have never tried anything quite like frozen yoghurt before. But the Wicked Witch is here and with that sort of danger, what possible reason do you have to stay?"

A familiar feeling crept up Killian's spine and he cast a quick glance over his shoulder. Walking towards them was Emma Swan, her arm around the shoulders of her soon-to-be teenage son, Henry.

"My reasons are my own", he said, his voice sharp and definite as he once again turned to Smee, lowering the tone to a threatening whisper. "Question them again at your peril."

Smee seemed to understand that their conversation was over and gave a quick nod as a farewell before walking away. He nearly bumped into Wolfgang and two of the girls from his group and Killian watched as the young, tanned man gave Smee a deathly glare. Once again he contemplated telling him the truth, but before he could do anything about it Emma approached him from the other side.

"Didn't he use to be a rat?" she asked, referring to Smee.

"Aye", Killian responded, keeping his gaze at the trio further away on the pier, along with the disappearing Smee, "in many ways he still is."

He turned and gave Emma one of his usual, carefree smiles. They always came easy around her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Swan?"

Emma looked nervous for a moment, sticking her hands in her back pockets before responding.

"I was wondering if you could take care of Henry again?"

Killian raised his eyebrows in a slight hint of surprise, before smiling and stepping closer to her. He was pleased to notice that she did not step away.

"If you want to get close to me", he said, keeping his voice low, "you just need to ask. There's no need to use the lad as an excuse."

"Why am I not surprised you're making this about you?" Emma asked, although she sounded more amused than annoyed, something that was also shown in her slight smile. "I need your help, 'cause Regina needs to train me in magic."

Killian raised his eyebrows again. After the failure at this in Neverland he had never thought the subject would be brought up again.

"We think... together, we might be able to defeat the Wicked Witch", Emma continued.

"That's the first reasonable plan I've heard since this all began", Killian admitted. "Magic is a part of you, Swan. Don't forget; I was there when Cora tried to steal your heart. I saw the power inside of you; it's time you embraced it. It's what makes you the Saviour."

"I'm not embracing anything", Emma quickly responded. "I need to learn magic to defeat Zelena and make sure everyone here is safe. After that, I'm done."

Killian felt his heart sink somewhat, though he could not keep himself from inquiring exactly what she meant.

"Done with what, exactly?"

Emma looked back at Henry, who was sitting on a bench playing with some small technological device that seemed to keep him too busy to overhear their conversation. It was hard to imagine that this was the boy who, a mere year ago, had been captured by Peter Pan and had fought and played with the Wild Boys when he had not believed anyone would come save him, not to mention giving up his heart in order to make sure everyone else would be safe.

"He doesn't belong here, not anymore", Emma said, turning back to Killian. "He belongs in the real world; in New York and the life that he remembers. It was good and it didn't involve vile villains."

"What about the life you remember?" Killian asked and stepped closer once again, his smile having long since dropped. "You can't just pretend like this never happened. Trust me; I spent the last year trying to do just that, return to the person I used to be and it didn't work."

"Why?" Emma asked. "What happened over the last year that you're not telling me?"

"It matters not", he responded. "Just take it from me, just this once; no matter how much you wish you could go back to your old life... you can't."

Emma lowered her gaze, contemplating his words, before glancing back at Henry. This time the boy looked up and Emma managed a smile as she walked over to him.

"Take care, alright?" she said and gave him a quick hug. "Stay with Killian."

"I will, mum", Henry responded and waved at Emma as she left. Just then Wolfgang and the two girls approached them.

"Wolfgang", Killian said, greeting them with a slight nod.

"Morning", Wolfgang responded, before grinning at Henry. "Hey there, Henry! Going out on the water with Killian again?"

"Don't know", Henry responded and looked over at the man in question. Killian contemplated stealing a boat again, but decided that it would be too risky.

"Today we're going to stay on land", he said, managing one of his usual grins. "There's lots to do here as well that you might not know of."

"Henry, I do not believe you have met my friends", Wolfgang said, gesturing to the two girls. "This is Filipi and this is Tessa."

"It's good to meet you", Henry said as he shook hands with the two girls.

"Wolf was just showing us the docks; I haven't been here before", Filipi explained. "Though I think now both me and Tessa would like to head to Granny's for a late breakfast. Care to join us?"

Henry looked at Killian again and he smiled briefly.

"Well, why not?" he said. "Maybe I can show you a few tricks while we're there?"

"What, you're suddenly a magician as well as a sailor?" Wolfgang asked.

"There's more to a man than what meets the eye", Killian responded as they all started to walk down the pier. Wolfgang rolled his eyes.

"I doubt those clothes cover too much", he said, indicating at Killian's regular tight leather trousers and half-unbuttoned vest.

"Well, the ladies certainly seem to like it", the pirate responded and fired off a disarming grin in the direction of Tessa and Filipi. The red-haired Tessa blushed furiously and looked away.

"Don't be ridiculous", Wolfgang huffed. "Indira saw through your charade and told me when we were out tracking the Witch."

"And what did she see, then?" Hook asked. Wolfgang lowered his voice to a whisper.

"That you're madly in love with Emma Swan."

* * *

**Well, someone had to say it...**


	36. 35: Shredded Blue Skirt

Clarissa shivered slightly in the cold breeze that was suddenly blowing from the sea. The sun, which had been shining when they headed out, had vanished behind a thick grey cloud barrier and now small raindrops had started to fall on the small group walking on the sandy beach. If she was not so damn tired she would have been excited at this kind of weather change, just because that was her thing; she loved everything that had to do with meteorology. She even studied it solely back home!

"So", Rowan said, walking next to her, "what now?"

"Well, we know some new things, at least", Indira said. "We know for sure that we were in the Enchanted Forest for about a year and that we were trying to track down Ollivander while fighting the Wicked Witch."

"If we were successful in doing so is unknown", Catriona sighed. "Ella's memories might not be completely wiped, but enough has been lost to keep her from knowing the whole story."

"Basically we're back on square one", Rowan muttered and tossed a stone out into the sea. To everyone's surprise it caused someone to yelp when it hit the surface and the next moment a head appeared above the water. The young woman was pale and shivered slightly.

"Get her out of there!" Indira exclaimed. "The water's freezing!"

Rowan immediately took off and helped the woman get up and out of the sea, placing her on a flat stone and then providing her with his jacket. Clarissa could not help but notice that the woman was seriously underdressed; she wore a sparkling, purple bra and a blue, sparkly skirt that seemed to be in tears below her knees.

"Thank you", she now said, warming her hands between her knees. "Humans certainly do not adapt well to cold water. I couldn't even move my arms."

"What do you mean?" Clarissa asked. The woman looked up.

"Well, I do not always look like this. I'm a mermaid."

"Woah, wait, what?" Rowan said.

"What's going on?" a voice behind them called. Clarissa looked around and noticed David and Mary Margaret hurrying towards them.

"She just washed up on shore!" she called back to them.

"Who did?" Mary Margaret asked. "Who's here?"

Clarissa quickly jumped aside to let them through and the eyes of the two newcomers widened at the sight of the young woman.

"Ariel?" Mary Margaret said. The mermaid-turned-human gave a weak smile and wrapped Rowan's jacket tighter around herself.

"She needs to get something warm to drink", Indira said. "Cat?"

"I'm on it", the younger girl quickly responded and hurried off. Clarissa knew that she would probably conjure a cup of tea or some other warm beverage once out of sight; heading back to _Granny's_ to fetch one would take too long.

Sure enough; Catriona came back within a minute, carrying a paper cup filled with tea. Ariel accepted it with another smile, holding it in both hands to keep warm.

"Where have you been?" Mary Margaret asked. "We thought you'd been turned into a monkey!"

"A monkey?" Ariel said with a surprised frown. "No, I'm a girl that turns into a fish..."

"Yeah, we know", David responded with a slight smile. "What happened to you?"

"I've been under the sea, searching", Ariel answered after taking a sip from the cup. "I've travelled to every known realm looking for Prince Eric."

"Wait, you can travel between the worlds?" Indira asked.

"Yeah, all mermaids can do that", Ariel said, then frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't think I know who you all are."

"We're sort of new here", Rowan responded. "I'm Rowan, this is Indira, Clarissa and Catriona."

"I'm very happy to meet you all", Ariel said with a smile.

"You too", Clarissa said. "So... what about Prince Eric? He's missing?"

"How long has he been gone?" Catriona filled in. Ariel swallowed.

"After Pan failed, I woke up here like everybody else", she explained. "I... I couldn't find him. And then I overheard someone saying that we'd all gone to the Enchanted Forest and been there for a year without remembering it, so I thought... maybe he had ended up somewhere else. Maybe he was back there."

"But he wasn't?" Clarissa asked. Ariel shook her head.

"No. That's why I came back here; I thought maybe I'd overlooked something, that he'd be here... but, obviously you haven't seen him."

"We're sorry", Mary Margaret said. "We've been trying to piece together what happened. All we know is that we're up against Regina's sister; the Wicked Witch."

Ariel's eyes widened.

"Do you think that... that she might be responsible for Prince Eric's disappearance?"

"Without our memories it's impossible to know everything", Catriona responded. Ariel nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Maybe for us, but what about Hook?" David suddenly asked. Ariel's head shot up, her eyes wide.

"The pirate?"

"Yes, he wasn't part of the Witch's curse", Mary Margaret agreed. "He has his memories; maybe he can, I don't know, shed some light on what happened to Prince Eric."

"Do you think he'd help me?" Ariel asked.

"He helped us save Henry", Mary Margaret said. "I don't see why not."

"Let's get you into some warmer clothes first", Indira decided and helped Ariel get up from the stone. "You're about my size; I've got some back at _Granny's_ that I think will fit you."

* * *

Wolfgang stopped himself from cursing in the last minute when Hook, once again, cast the two dices he had brought to the diner and the dots showed two sixes. Henry groaned in defeat. The pirate laughed in triumph and reached across the table, grabbing another piece of bacon from his plate.

"You want to know the secret to winning?" Hook asked. Henry leaned onto the table and smiled slightly.

"Practice?"

"No, my boy", Hook said and gathered the dices again. "Loaded dice."

"That's cheating", Filipi remarked.

"No, it's not", Wolfgang argued. "I mean, only if you get caught."

"I think it's cheating either way", Henry said. Hook drained his cup of chocolate and leaned back in his seat.

"Point is; you win."

The bell by the door chimed, signalling someone's arrival, and Hook's eyes immediately glanced in its direction. Wolfgang followed and saw David standing in the doorway. Something in his appearance said that he needed to talk to the pirate. Hook seemed to understand this and dropped the dices on the table.

"Practice", he said to the young boy before rising. Wolfgang hesitated momentarily before following him, leaving Henry with Filipi and Tessa, who could hardly form a coherent sentence with the pirate around, something that amused the others greatly. Hook gave him a sideways glance but did not object to him coming along.

"Hook, Wolfgang, this is Ariel", David said as they approached. Just then Mary Margaret came in through the door, followed by Indira and a red-haired, unfamiliar woman. The name Ariel, however, was enough to let Taimoor know who she was.

"She's looking for someone who didn't return to Storybrooke with the rest of us", David continued.

"He's from a maritime kingdom", Ariel explained, "and he loved to sail. Perhaps... you came across him on the high seas?"

Wolfgang glanced at Hook and noticed, to his surprise, that the pirate seemed at a loss for words.

"His name's Prince Eric", Ariel continued. Hook momentarily dropped his gaze and Wolfgang instantly knew that he was hiding something.

"Sorry, lass", the pirate eventually said with a hint of an apologetic smile. "I wish I could help, but I've never heard of him."

Ariel forced a smile, seemingly acting as if it did not matter, though her eyes betrayed her devastation.

"Think hard, Hook", David begged. "Are you sure you can't remember anything that can be useful?"

"My apologies, mate", Hook said, his voice suddenly sharp, "but if I'd run across a prince during my adventure I think I'd remember it."

"I just..." Ariel begun and swallowed hard before managing to continue. "I don't understand. How could he vanish without a trace?"

"That's it", Mary Margaret suddenly said. Everyone turned towards her in surprise.

"That's what?" Indira asked.

"Maybe he didn't vanish without a trace", Mary Margaret clarified. "When the curse brought us back here it brought our things too. Gold's shop is filled with them."

"And if we find something of Eric's we can use a locator spell to track him", David filled in. Ariel's face split up in a wide smile.

"Let's go", she said.

"Sounds like a plan", Hook said and smiled at them. "Best of luck with that."

He turned and gave Wolfgang a sharp look, telling him that he should probably also leave now if he did not want to get pulled into this.

"Wait, no, you should come with us", Mary Margaret said. "You might remember something that we won't, or can't. In fact, you'd be far more helpful than us."

She indicated to herself and David when she spoke the last sentence. Hook looked at them and tried to come up with something to say.

"Someone has to keep an eye on the boy", he eventually said and nodded at Henry, who was by now trying to get the right spin on the dices to hide the fact that they were loaded with a weight.

"Well, Mary Margaret and I can take over", David suggested. Hook gave him a defeated look, before he sighed.

"Could we... could we talk for a moment?" he asked the other man. David nodded and followed the pirate to the bar. A look from Hook told Wolfgang that he should come along; this was a men's talk.

"What is it?" David asked, keeping his voice low to keep the women by the door from overhearing it.

"You sure this is such a good idea, mate?" Hook countered. "Let's be honest; there's only one obvious explanation why the little mermaid can't find her prince."

"You're saying he's dead?" Wolfgang asked. Hook nodded.

"I don't see a reason to ply her with false hope."

David sighed and placed his hands on his hips.

"In my experience there's no such thing", he said, eyeing the pirate. "You just have to believe."

Hook glared at him, something that David did not even seem to notice. Instead he patted the other man on his leather-clad shoulder.

"Now go. Good luck."

Hook grunted and moved towards the door again.

"Wolf, you're with me", he ordered. "Let's get this over with."


	37. 36: Purple Cloak

**And back to the Enchanted Forest we go, people!**

* * *

_7 Months Prior_

_On route to Blackbeard's docks, Enchanted Forest_

As they left the small town in the early morning hours the mist still clung to the ground, providing an even more enchanted look to the old forest they were set to journey through. Killian Jones, more commonly known as Captain Hook, had not been pleased when the two sorcerers had showed up with Ariel, announcing they were coming along, but he also knew better than to argue with them. They had magic and if there was one thing he was nowadays very cautious about dabbling in it was exactly that.

As he knew the way to the old docks that Blackbeard used as a land base he took the lead, marching through the undergrowth of the forest as the sun slowly rose. The chill stayed present in the forest throughout their journey, but no one complained. Well, at least not about that; Wolfgang, the male sorcerer, looked like he wanted to hit something every time someone spoke or caused a branch to snap. Killian therefore took to amusing himself by doing just that; finding the driest branches on the ground and stomping on them as he walked. Filipi, the female sorceress, sent him multiple glares because of this, but she did not do anything else. It was surprising, truly; sorcerers tended to use their magic willy-nilly to take care of problems like these. Wolfgang and Filipi, however, seemed rather reluctant to use their abilities. Or maybe it was just Filipi; Killian did notice how she placed her hand on his arm as a warning multiple times.

They did not stop for longer than a few minutes at the time, to drink and take out some food from their packs, which they then could eat while walking. Killian longed to feel the move of a ship beneath his soles once more and by not stopping he knew their trek would soon end in that; in him once again standing onboard the _Jolly Roger_. When it came to Blackbeard... well, Killian certainly did not plan on showing him mercy.

"Trudge, trudge, trudge", Ariel sighed behind him. "If you ask me there's nothing more boring than land travel. I'll take my tail in the ocean any day."

"There's one thing we can agree on", Killian said, eyeing their surroundings, "minus the tail, of course."

The sun had begun to set and they were now walking uphill. A gush of wind brought the smell of the salty sea with it.

"You won't be bored for much longer", he continued, inhaling deeply. "Our destination is just past this rise."

He turned back and saw Ariel smile in relief.

"Then it won't be long until I'm reunited..."

The mermaid fell silent as her purple cloak stuck on the branch of a spruce. Killian rolled his eyes at her attempts to free it and walked back.

"Here, allow me."

Using his hook he tore the cloak free. Ariel stared at the tear for a few moments before looking up at him, her hazel eyes dark with anger.

"You've ripped it!" she exclaimed. Killian stared at her in confusion.

"It's a cloak", he pointed out.

"It's _Eric's_ cloak", Ariel responded, "and he's had it since before we met. He left it with me while he was away to keep him close and now you've ruined it!"

"If mending a cloak is our biggest obstacle we're in fine shape", Wolfgang grunted as he walked past them. Filipi, walking behind him, rolled her eyes at his back before stopping next to Ariel.

"Here, let me", she said and brought out her wand. "_Reparo_."

Instantly the cloak seemed to sow itself together and the fresh tear vanished. Filipi then put her wand back inside her sleeve, where she obviously had some sowed-in contraption to keep it secured.

"Thank you", Ariel said and smiled widely. Killian sighed and started walking again, following Wolfgang.

"You realize you might not find him, or survive?" he called.

"I will", Ariel argued. Killian wondered how long he would be able to deal with the stubbornness of this mermaid-turned-human and stopped, turning towards her again.

"Didn't you see the fear Blackbeard's name struck into my crew?" he asked, his voice harsh. "You don't become a pirate captain through mercy. If I were you, I would prepare myself for the worst."

Ariel's confident look faltered and he turned to continue the trek.

"So you would have killed Prince Eric if you had him?" Filipi called.

"You don't believe that?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Well, honestly, I for one was a little surprised to hear that you might be responsible for Eric's kidnapping", Ariel responded, "after the stories I've heard."

He stopped and spun around towards the two women again. Smee, walking even further behind, looked decidedly uncomfortable with the bickering, but Killian did not care the slightest.

"What stories?" he instead demanded to know.

"Well", Ariel begun, "the ones of you helping reunite Snow White and her family in Neverland."

"Why do you think they even sent a message to you?" Filipi filled in. "To some people you are a hero."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, glaring down into her pale face. If stories like that were spreading about him it was no wonder Blackbeard had dared to take his ship; people thought he had gone soft. He had not; he was the same pirate he had always been. No one should even dare to believe otherwise.

"Don't believe every story you hear", he hissed.

"Hey", Wolfgang said, suddenly appearing behind them, "let go of her."

Killian glanced back and saw how the younger man had produced his wand, not yet pointing it at him but probably ready to do so. He let go of the blonde's arm to signal a truce and signalled to Smee to continue on. The man in the red cap hurriedly walked past them, continuing up the hill.

"Being good is nothing to be ashamed of", Ariel said once Smee was out of earshot. "People change. Look at me; I have legs and fell in love with a human. I don't think anyone saw that coming."

"You may have changed", Killian responded, "I haven't. I'm a pirate and I always will be."

"Nothing wrong with that", Wolfgang said, "and I don't think anyone else would know the way to a pirate's cove but a pirate, so we're lucky to have found one like yourself."

Killian sent a glare in his direction before stomping past him, his mood significantly darker than before. To his surprise, however, Wolfgang turned and started walking next to him. It would seem the younger man found it amusing to see Killian in such a foul mood, just like he had previously enjoyed seeing the sorcerer ready to kill someone every time a twig snapped.

"You know", Wolfgang said and pulled out an apple from his bag, "your story in this land is far more interesting than the one I heard back in mine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Killian grumbled.

"Let's just say a pirate who's deadly afraid of a crocodile with a ticking clock in its belly was not exactly scary", the sorcerer responded. Killian turned towards him with a surprised frown.

"A what?"

"See?" Wolfgang said with a grin. "Not scary at all."

"Is this your way of annoying me or an attempt to cheer me up?" Killian demanded to know. Wolfgang took a bite from his apple while considering the question.

"Let's just say that I think the two of us are more alike than we initially thought", he responded. "Apart from your ability to drink and my lack of such."

Killian found the corners of his lips turning upwards.

"Well, if you ever fancy leaving the familiarity of land and going out on the sea as a pirate, I might just give you a place onboard my ship", he said. "You'd make a fine jester."

"That is quite possibly the most interesting offer I've had since we ended up in this land", Wolfgang said with a grin and produced a second apple from his bag, tossing it to the pirate who caught it in his right hand. "Now let's see this Blackbeard get the shakes from seeing a mismatched group of people demand that he return the _Jolly Roger_ to its rightful owner; Captain Hook."

"Killian Jones", Killian corrected. "My name is Killian Jones."

* * *

**Well, seems like those two have bonded. Good or bad?**


	38. 37: Red Ruby's Spells

**Let's skip back to Storybrooke and the present once again.**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

"_Wingardium Leviosa_."

The stone she had pointed her wand at rose at once, floated through the air and then landed on the ground among the others she had moved with a soft thud.

"It feels really cool that it actually works", Chris, standing next to her, mused. Arianne smiled as well. How many times had people like them not picked up a random stick from the ground, flicked it in the correct manner while uttering the incantation and then been sourly disappointed when nothing happened? The only problem now was that, other than moving things from one place to another, it and all other spells, curses and jinxes were useless against the Wicked Witch.

"We should probably get back", Arianne sighed and lowered her wand.

"Nah, let's stay out a bit longer", Chris responded. "If we head back to the hospital all we'll find is Ella, Toby, Miranda and Rachel talking about Ravenclaw stuff and Jade trying to annoy them."

"We could head after Maryse", Arianne suggested. "She was going to see Belle, to help her organize things in the shop, go through things that might belong to people around town."

"Arianne, I might be a Hufflepuff but I'm certainly not someone who likes to organize things", Chris pointed out. He had hardly finished the sentence when they heard heels tapping against stone and turned around, peering out from behind the trees. Their training place lay next to the graveyard and now they could see Regina Mills marching up the stairs to a tomb, followed by Emma Swan.

"What are they doing?" Chris asked as the pair disappeared inside the small house.

"You're going to suggest we follow them, aren't you?" Arianne said. He met her gaze with a grin.

"Are you up for it?"

"Fine", Arianne groaned, "but if they want us to leave we leave right away, alright?"

Chris did not bother to answer her; instead he hurried up to the tomb and peeked in through the door. Arianne reached him just as he sneaked inside.

Inside the small, square room stood a stone chest with an engraved plate on its lid showing the name of the one inside; _Henry Mills_. It was probably meant to stand at the centre of the tomb, but now it had been pushed aside, revealing a long, steep staircase.

"Don't touch anything", came Regina's voice from below, echoing against the stones.

"How am I supposed to learn magic if I can't touch anything?" Emma's voice answered. Chris carefully walked closer to the stairs and Arianne followed, wand still in her hand. Two voices inside her head were arguing about this course of action; one saying that they should leave now, the other saying that she had to know what was happening. In the end the second one won.

"The same way I did with Rumple", Regina answered Emma's questions while the two others started to, silently, descend into the underground chambers. "We're going to create a solid foundation first and then build your skills from the ground up."

Arianne, now having taken the lead, reached the bottom stairs just as Regina turned towards Emma, who was holding what looked like the foot of a lizard.

"I said don't touch", the Mayor said and grabbed the object, before spinning around at the newcomers, "and what are you two doing here?"

Emma spun around as well.

"Where did you..."

"We were practicing magic close by", Arianne explained. "Curiosity then took us here."

"And curiosity killed the cat", Regina pointed out, her dark eyes threatening.

"We'll leave if you want us to", Arianne continued, stomping on Chris' foot when he tried to argue. Regina studied them in silence for a while, her eyes squinted, before she suddenly straightened up.

"No, you can stay."

"They can what?" Emma asked, eyes widening.

"Stay", Regina responded. "They have more knowledge about magic than you do; maybe they can give you a few tips once we get going."

"They are wielding magic from _Harry Potter_", Emma protested, "and it was useless against the Witch. How is that supposed to help me?"

"Because they have devoted themselves to learning it", Regina responded, her voice sharp. "Something that you need to do as well."

Emma opened her mouth to answer, before thinking better of it and closing it again.

"So", Regina said and turned towards a large chest, "while we're here, who's looking after Henry? The Un-Charmings?"

"Actually, Hook is", Emma responded while Regina opened the chest, revealing tons of old books. At this, however, Regina turned around, a frown appearing on her forehead.

"Well, those two have been spending a lot of time together lately", she remarked.

"Hook's good with Henry", Emma said, not meeting the other woman's gaze, "and Henry likes him."

"He's prone to violence, impulsive and has a Hook for a hand", Regina said and turned towards the chest again. "What about him would a 12-year old boy not like?"

Emma placed her hands on her hips, much like her father used to do, and glared at Regina's back.

"I trust him", she said. "He brought me back to Storybrooke and he didn't have to."

"Of course he brought you back", Regina said, still with her back towards them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked.

"Seriously?" Chris asked. "You don't know what she's talking about?"

The blonde frowned.

"See, even he knows and you're going to pretend everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and doe-y eyes?" Regina said and turned towards them again.

"I don't yearn", Emma sharply responded.

"Well, maybe", Regina said with a shrug, "but he does."

Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but before she could say anything else Regina picked up an ornate book with a ruby heart on its cover, flipping the pages.

"Let's start with roots for incantations", she said. Arianne stepped closer, frowning at the neatly drawn symbols on the page Regina was showing them. Emma looked equally confused.

"Are you kidding me right now?" she asked. "What language is this; Spanish?"

"We're not making tapas; we're making magic", Regina remarked. "It's Elvish. Well, half-Elvish."

Emma looked, if possible, even more confused.

"I'm never going to get this", she admitted and looked up at the darker woman. "Is this how Rumple taught you? Just think about your training; what other methods did he use?"

"Rumple was a bully", Regina responded. "He didn't suffer fools and he certainly did not coddle his students, and if he tried to teach you how to swim and you couldn't learn..."

She turned and dropped the book unceremoniously back into the chest.

"You drowned."

"Drowned?" Arianne asked. Regina froze momentarily before a big grin appeared on her face as she looked at them again.

"That's it", she said.

"That's what?" Chris questioned. Regina continued to smile before flicking her hands. Instantly all four of them were surrounded by purple smoke. It took Arianne half a second to realize that Regina had used some sort of transportation spell, which certainly was more comfortable than apparating had sounded like in the _Harry Potter_ books. However, their destination, was far from pleasant; as the smoke cleared they found themselves standing high above the ground on a narrow rope bridge spanning over a canyon. Somewhere close by a bird screeched and when they looked down into the chasm they saw the thin line of a river, which in reality probably was quite wide. Arianne and Chris were placed on one end of the bridge, on stable ground, while Emma was standing in the middle of the bridge, her back towards them. She was holding tight to the ropes on either side of her. Regina, standing on the opposite side, smiled slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma shouted.

"Teaching you to swim", Regina responded.

"Are you out of your mind?" Emma exclaimed, fear evident in her voice.

"Every time you've exhibited your power it's been spurred on by your instincts", Regina said. "So today we're going to push those instincts until you master them."

"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now", Chris called from the opposite end, causing Emma to glance back at them.

"She has to do this on her own", Regina remarked, noticing their wands.

"Regina, are you sure about this?" Arianne called back. "What if something goes wrong?"

"I'm sure", Regina said and turned to look at Emma again. "She can stop me."

"Stop you from what?" Emma asked.

"This."

She flicked her hand and suddenly board after board on the bridge loosened and fell down into the chasm, starting with those closest to Chris and Arianne, then the ones by Regina's end, leaving Emma on an island in the middle.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma screamed again.

"Making the bridge collapse", Regina responded, as if it was the most normal thing in the entire universe. By now all of the boards had loosened and Emma was balancing her feet on the ropes.

"You can either stop it or die", Regina continued. Emma screamed in terror as the ropes by her feet broke, causing her to hang by her hands over the chasm.

"Regina!" Arianne shouted. "Stop it! There has to be another way!"

"No more hand-holding", Regina responded, her voice sharp. "You have to do this, Emma. Reach into your gut; you know you can do this."

"It's inside you, Emma!" Chris suddenly shouted, causing Arianne to look at him.

"What are you..."

"She has to devote herself", Chris responded. "Believe that she can do it. That's the only way to save her."

Arianne looked from him to Regina's smug face to Emma, then to the ropes she was holding on to. They were starting to unwind.

"Save the bridge, Emma!" she called. "Save yourself!"

At that the ropes snapped and Emma screamed as she fell into the chasm.


	39. 38: Golden Sea Creature

**Aah, where's Emma? Did she make it? We'll see soon enough, I promise, but first we need to head to another place in Storybrooke.**

* * *

"Thanks for helping me with these", Belle said. Maryse smiled at her before placing another object on the counter in front of her.

"No problem at all", she responded. "I like it here. There are so many things belonging to all of these different fairytale characters; it's like a great big fandom shop."

"A what?"

"Like a shop where you can buy things that are mentioned in books and such", Maryse responded, opening the box she had found and lifting up the one of the small, ebony chess pieces. "Who did this belong to?"

"That used to belong to Snow White's father", Belle said and walked over. "Rumple told me last time we were here."

Maryse looked up and saw the shadow that passed over the brunette's face.

"We'll get him back", she assured her. "Don't worry."

"I'll try not to", Belle said with a smile, before walking over to the opposite counter and flipping a book open, making a note in the margin regarding the chess set. Maryse carefully placed the chess piece, a knight, back in its place and closed the box, before kneeling down to put the item on one of the counter's shelves. Just then the doorbell chimed, signalling someone entering the shop.

"Belle?" said an unfamiliar female voice. Maryse rose again, just as a wide smile spread on Belle's face at the sight of their visitor.

"Ariel?" she said and hurriedly walked out from behind the counter, embracing the red-haired woman. "Where have you been? I was worried I'd never see you again?"

Maryse smiled at the reunion before looking at the two men who had been accompanying Ariel to the shop; Hook and Wolfgang. The latter nodded in her direction.

"I've been looking for Eric", Ariel explained, still held in Belle's embrace. "He's been missing since we all returned."

The two broke apart and an uncharacteristically solemn Hook walked forward.

"We were hoping we could find something of his here", he said. Belle frowned momentarily.

"Oh, of course", she then said, realizing what the pirate meant, "to see if he's in Storybrooke."

"Have you seen anything of his?" Ariel asked.

"Me and Maryse only just started sorting through things", Belle admitted, nodding at Maryse, who waved at the red-haired woman. She smiled back and Maryse walked out from behind her counter.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Ariel", she said. "I've heard so much about you. Are you looking for something belonging to Prince Eric?"

"Yes, have you seen anything that might be his?" Ariel asked. "He's from a maritime kingdom, so lots of his stuff had to do with the sea."

"Well, not yet", Maryse said, "but don't worry. Let's just start looking and I'm sure we'll find something."

Ariel smiled and joined Belle in searching the items inside the glass-counters, while Wolfgang pulled Maryse along to the backroom, followed by Hook.

"What's this about?" she hissed at him.

"We suspect Eric's not alive", Wolfgang responded, keeping his voice low. Maryse stared at him, then at Hook.

"What? Why?"

"Because he's not here and Ariel didn't find him while searching the other realms, either", Wolfgang answered. "Honestly, the only way he can be here without someone having seen him is if he was turned into one of those monkeys the Witch keeps about herself."

"You might be wrong about that", Maryse said and yanked her arm from his grip. "Now let's start looking for something that might be his."

Hook, having wandered off slightly, suddenly chuckled.

"I've been wondering where you went", he said and picked up a small, cylindrical object.

"A telescope?" Maryse said as he pulled out the extension.

"Yes, I lost it when I was last here", the pirate said and placed the object in front of his right eye. "Ah, this is better."

"Why would you need them in here?" Maryse asked as he started to sweep his gaze through the room. "It's much easier to..."

Hook stopped, his grin faltering before he slowly removed the telescope from his eyes.

"You look like you've seen a ghost", Wolfgang remarked.

"Maybe I have", Hook answered, before pushing past them and walking over to a hanger of clothes. He pushed them aside, revealing a purple cloak with a large, circular clasp on a mannequin. The clasp was engraved with some sort of sea creature; its upper body humanoid, its lower like a squid.

"Belle!" Maryse called through the door. The two women out in the shop immediately looked up and came hurrying towards them. Ariel gasped at the sight of the cloak.

"That's Eric's", she said, then frowned. "How did you know that was his?"

"I... I wasn't sure", Hook said, lifting the clasp to study it closer. "I saw the sea creature clasp and remembered he was from a maritime kingdom."

"He is", Ariel said with a smile, "or was. And now he's here."

Belle was also smiling widely and gave her friend a quick hug before the former mermaid walked up and embraced Hook. Maryse smiled triumphantly at Wolfgang, only to find his brow furrowed with worry. A chill ran down her spine and her smile faltered as she looked back at Hook. The pirate did not look happy at all. In fact he looked terrified.

* * *

Regina wondered how her heart must sound wherever Robin Hood had hidden it. From what she was feeling without it in her chest she believed it must be hammering as if she had just run a marathon. Her hands gripped the end poles tightly as she glanced down into the chasm. From her end it was impossible to tell where Emma was, as the pines growing beneath the bridge were denser on her side of the river below. However, from the looks on the faces of their two companions, she had a hard time believing that something good had happened.

She could not help but thinking about how David and Mary Margaret would react when she came back to Storybrooke without Emma. The alliance they had managed to work with since Neverland would be flushed away and, most likely, Robin would follow them once he heard about this. She would not blame him. How could she have been so damned foolish as to place them in this situation? There were so many other scenarios where she could have forced Emma to act on instinct without sending her to her impending death!

A creaking from below caused her eyes to widen and she could hear the two on the other side give a surprised shout. In the chasm Emma was rising up towards them, standing on top of the remains of the bridge, animated into a moving tower that grew like a tree from the ground. The blonde kept her palms down, focusing her power, but her face showed nothing but sheer surprise. Regina forced down her own surprise, and happiness at not having killed the Saviour, as the tower climbed higher.

"You go, Emma!" the young man on the other side suddenly cheered. "That's brilliant!"

The tower grew towards Regina and allowed Emma to step off, back on safe ground. Her eyes were wider than Regina had ever seen them.

"I... did I just do that?" the blonde asked.

"Yes", Regina responded, "when all I wanted was for you to retie the rope."

Emma did not seem to notice what she was saying; instead she turned towards the tower, still staring at it.

"It was like you said; instinct."

Regina glanced over at their companions and flicked her hand, surrounding them in purple smoke to bring them over to their side. The boy was grinning like a mad man while the girl looked stunned. She, however, eventually turned to Regina.

"Why are you angry with her?" she asked. "She did it; why does it matter how?"

Regina felt surprised that the girl could actually tell that she was angry. True, she had quite an intimidating glare to send out, but now she was fighting to retain it, keeping a rather neutral look. Had her voice betrayed her? How had she even been able to hear it; last time she spoke the girl had been on the other side of the chasm!

"I'm not mad because she didn't listen to me", Regina said, before waving her hand at the still standing tower. "I'm mad because... look at all this potential inside of her, and she's been wasting it!"

Emma blinked and looked back at Regina.

"Yeah, maybe you're right", she admitted. "This... this felt... good, in a way."

"That was not something either of us would have been able to do, by the way", the boy admitted, pointing at himself and his companion. "At least not me."

"Well, I think we're done here", Regina said and waved her hands again, sending them all back to her vault. Emma still looked dumbfounded, but the boy next to her was chatting away about how brilliant she had been.

"You didn't think she could do it, did you?"

Regina spun around and found the girl still standing there.

"Of course I did", she answered. The girl looked amused.

"I saw the look on your face when she fell", she pointed out. "You thought she'd been unable to do it and you blamed yourself for it. I did too; I thought you'd killed her."

"Well, look who was right", Regina remarked. For some reason the girl smiled even wider at that.

"Yeah", she said, "you definitely proved me and Chris wrong and if you can do that, I don't see a reason why you can't do it to everyone else. Including Zelena."

Regina's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I think maybe you need to believe it yourself", the girl answered. "Believe that you can overcome whatever darkness there's been in your past, that you can prove people wrong, because from what I saw today you clearly can."

She turned to walk out of the vault and up the stairs.

"What's your name?" Regina asked, drawing her attention again. "I never asked, did I? It's awfully rude of me."

The girl smiled.

"Arianne."

* * *

**Emma's alright, and Regina seems to be bonding with... Brianne? Now that's a bit unexpected...**

**Before I forget I also want to thank you all for the recent reviews; they were really lovely :)**


	40. 39: Wave of a Blue Tail

**It's time for an Enchanted Forest-chapter again, people! Hold on to your hats and hooks, 'cause we're in for something here...**

* * *

_7 Months Prior_

_Blackbeard's docks, Enchanted Forest_

They had used the darkness to sneak through the barracks surrounding the small dock, ending in them now crouching down behind a set of barrels next to the ship they had come for; the _Jolly Roger_. Hook could hardly contain his excitement.

"Up close she's even more beautiful than I remember", he remarked. "Don't worry, my dear; you'll soon be back in my loving arms."

"You do realize you're talking to a boat?" Filipi pointed out. Wolfgang scoffed at the insulted look Hook shot her way.

"You have your love, I have mine", the pirate said.

"What makes you think I have a love?" Filipi asked.

"Well, don't everyone?"

"Alright, shut up", Wolfgang said, smiling amusedly. "One more comment like that and I might give away our position by bursting out laughing."

"How are we going to get onboard, Captain?" Smee asked, eyeing the ship and all the men surrounding it. "Blackbeard's crew outnumbers us."

"Well, perhaps, but we've got something he has not", Hook said with a grin, before looking at Wolfgang. He grinned back.

"You're not using magic to get onboard", Filipi warned.

"Who says I am?" Wolfgang asked, before sneaking out from behind the barrels. There was one guard patrolling end of the gangway and, coincidentally, that man now had his back turned towards them. Wolfgang walked as close as he could before giving a low whistle. The man immediately spun around and was met, in the face, by Hook's hook, which Wolfgang had been given for this exact situation. The guard tumbled unceremoniously to the ground. Hook grinned as he stepped up to him and reinserted his hook in its rightful place, on his left arm, before crossing the gangway.

"Stand on attention, mates!" he called while drawing his cutlass. "Now boarding the ship; the rightful captain of the _Jolly Roger_."

The pirates onboard had fallen silent, staring at the scene. Wolfgang was sure it must look very strange; one man that certainly looked like a pirate walking onboard, followed by a red-haired woman who looked quite terrified, a fat man in a red cap and two people holding sticks in their hands. Adrenaline coursed through him as he realized it might get to a fight. Hook, or Killian Jones, had told him earlier (while giving him the hook) that he needed to defeat Blackbeard on his own in order to gain the crew's trust, but if Blackbeard did not show or if he managed to defeat Hook, then there was no other way for the others but to fight. Wolfgang was definitely prepared for that.

"Now", Hook said and stepped off the gangway, "if the coward who tried stealing her from me would kindly show his face, I'll give him the punishment he deserves."

Ariel, who had been walking first behind Hook and was now standing at the edge of the gangway, inhaled sharply as a man walked up from beneath the deck. Wolfgang looked past her, wand at the ready, and looked straight into the dark eyes of another pirate. To his amusement this one looked much more like how Captain Hook was portrayed in the old _Disney_-film; a long red coat, a three-cornered hat, a short forked beard and dark, long, curly hair. In fact he had to fight the urge to laugh at the irony of it and, when glancing at Filipi, he could see her doing the same.

"Gladly", the pirate now said, indirectly admitting he was the notorious Blackbeard. Hook turned towards him with a carefree smile at the ready, while Blackbeard drew his cutlass.

"But it's not me who'll be punished", the notorious pirate said. Hook grinned and walked up to circle with the other pirate, as casually as if he was out on a morning stroll and was greeting an old friend.

"You want your ship back?" Blackbeard now asked. "Then take it."

Their blades crossed for the first time, clinking against each other a couple of times before they continued to circle each other. Blackbeard laughed a rough laugh. Ariel suddenly moved forward and, followed by Smee, disappeared down another set of stairs to look for Prince Eric, who the mermaid had found out was Blackbeard's prisoner.

The pirates crossed blades again and now the crew started to cheer at the duel. Wolfgang felt his grip around his wand tightening; Blackbeard might be older than Hook, but he was definitely a highly skilled swordsman. Hook seemed to have noticed the same.

In a flurry of motions Blackbeard sent the one-handed man backwards. During this pause he drew a second blade from his belt. As Hook got up and noticed this he smiled and launched another attack.

"Does he really think he can win?" Filipi hissed in Wolfgang's ear.

"I have no idea", Wolfgang responded, "but I think we should think so."

Blackbeard's elbow suddenly hit Hook in the face and Wolfgang grimaced as he heard the cracking sound of a nose breaking. The hit both put Hook off-balance and caused him to drop his cutlass, something that Blackbeard immediately used to his advantage, pushing the ship's former captain back against the main mast.

"I was afraid you weren't going to show up", Blackbeard said. "Word on the waterways is Captain Hook had gone soft."

"The only thing soft will be your guts spilling on this deck", Hook growled, before grabbing onto one of the ropes securing the back sail, which pulled him up into the air and away from Blackbeard. As he then released the rope the sail dropped in front of the other pirates, resulting in a chorus of disappointed grunts.

"I'd never give up the _Jolly Roger_ without a fight", Hook said while picking up his cutlass. Blackbeard grinned and moved forward, resulting in their blades clashing in another violent dance at the centre of the deck. It led them closer and closer to the gangway and Wolfgang pushed Filipi somewhat backwards in order to make sure they both avoided the swinging blades.

"You think you know the ship?" Hook asked while keeping Blackbeard's blade locked against his own. Blackbeard grinned again and licked his lips.

"Oh, every inch of her. I assure you."

"If that was the case", Hook said and pushed away, "you'd know not to step there!"

He sent his blade down towards his opponent's feet and Blackbeard took a step to his right, trampling right through a rotten plank and sticking. He let out a shout of pain while Hook walked up to him, grinning.

"Oh, I've been meaning to fix that", Hook said while he pointed the blade at his opponents throat. Wolfgang chuckled and stepped off the gangway to stand on the ship itself.

"Nicely done", he said.

"It's not over yet", Hook remarked, his gaze fixed on Blackbeard. The other pirate was leaning against the rail in order to keep himself somewhat upright.

"Finish it!" Blackbeard roared.

"Fancy a shave, do we?" Wolfgang asked, earning him a glare from the defeated man. Hook grinned.

"Well, in that case, I'd be happy to oblige."

He raised his cutlass and moved to strike.

"Wait!"

The shout from Ariel drew everyone's attention. She and Smee had returned from below deck and the mermaid-turned-human looked absolutely devastated.

"Eric's not onboard", she said. "You have to get him to tell you where he is."

Hook looked down at Blackbeard and moved his blade to his throat once more.

"You heard the lady", he said. "Where is he?"

"So that's what this was?" Blackbeard said, a new grin appearing on his face. "A rescue mission for some wench? Ha! They were right about you, Hook; you have gone soft."

"I can either make this painful or quite painful", Hook growled. "Now answer!"

"I have him stashed, safe and sound, on a deserted island", Blackbeard casually responded. "Only I know where. I was planning to ransom him when the time was right."

"Whatever it is, I'll pay it", Ariel urged.

"Money's not what I'm after anymore", Blackbeard huffed.

"Then what is it that you want?" Filipi asked. Blackbeard licked his lips before smiling at Hook.

"The satisfaction", he said, "of proving Captain Hook is no longer a pirate."

Hook raised a questioning eyebrow at him and smiled amusedly.

"And how are you going to prove that?"

"By giving you a choice", Blackbeard responded and pushed the blade pointed at his throat aside. "Surrender the _Jolly Roger_ to me and I'll tell you where I'm holding her prince. Or refuse and he dies along with me."

Hook took a step back, his eyes ablaze with anger.

"Is there some sort of spell you can use?" he said.

"Not one I'm capable of using", Wolfgang responded. "Neither is Filipi; it's far too advanced and takes years and years of training."

Hook pursed his lips with determination.

"Then that settles it", he said. "Smee, hold her back."

"What..." Ariel begun before Smee grabbed her arms. Hook, meanwhile, pulled Blackbeard out of the hole.

"Bind him", he ordered, glaring at Wolfgang. "Now!"

"_Incarcerous_", Wolfgang responded, conjuring ropes that immediately bound and gagged Blackbeard.

"Wolf, what the hell are you doing?" Filipi exclaimed.

"He wouldn't have told us where to go even if Hook surrendered the _Jolly Roger_", Wolfgang responded.

"Well, it was worth a try!" Filipi shouted, pointing her wand at Smee. "Let..."

"_Flipendo_!"

With a flick of his wand Filipi was sent back, across the gangway and crashing into a set of barrels.

"I said that he should walk the plank", Hook said and raised the sail, allowing the rest of the crew to watch, "and that is exactly what he shall do."

He pulled Blackbeard up off the floor and poked him in the back with his cutlass, forcing him out on the plank. Wolfgang frowned when he heard the bubbling sound coming from below and looked over the rail, seeing the water bustling with life. No wonder Blackbeard had built his docks here; the waters were filled with crocodiles. Perfect for disposing of an unsuspecting enemy.

"You can't do this!" Ariel called. "We had an agreement! You promised me that you would help find Eric. Please!"

Hook maintained his determined look as he kept forcing Blackbeard further and further out on the plank.

"I know that you are a good man", Ariel continued, "and I know that man is still in there somewhere; it's not too late to do the right thing! Isn't true love more important than a few planks of wood and a sail?"

Hook cast a glare at her over his shoulder.

"She might just be a few planks and a sail, but she's mine", he said. "She's all I need. Love brings nothing but wasted years and endless torment; I'm doing you a favour."

He then used his sword to cut a shallow wound in Blackbeard's left arm.

"A little something to whet the appetite of our razor-toothed friends below", he hissed, before he pushed Blackbeard off the plank.

"No!" Ariel yelled.

"Enjoy the feast, boys!" Hook called as the crocodiles gathered to kill the man that had just been sent into their home. He then turned towards the crew again.

"The _Jolly Roger_ is mine!" he bellowed. "Any man willing to swear an oath to me shall be given quarter. Those who don't; you're welcome to follow your former captain."

Blackbeard's crew knew better than to argue and instead cheered. At this Hook sheathed his cutlass and walked off the plank, back onto the deck.

"You may release her, Mr Smee."

Once Ariel was free she immediately slapped Hook hard across the cheek.

"I was wrong about you, Captain", she spat out. "You're selfish and you're heartless and that is what will bring you wasted years and endless torment. I feel sorry for you. You'll never be happy."

She then strode up onto the plank.

"Where do you think you're going?" Wolfgang asked. Ariel turned towards them again.

"Eric's still out there", she responded, "and whatever it takes I will find him. You, however, should probably spend some time thinking about what you just did to your friend."

With that she dove gracefully into the water, turning back into a mermaid and flicking her blue tail at them before swimming away.

"You should probably go as well", Hook remarked and walked up to stand next to Wolfgang, the anger having seeped from his veins. Wolfgang looked over at where Filipi lay, unconscious, on land.

"I can't", he sighed. "She and the others will never let me back now; I used magic against them. We're not supposed to do that against one another."

"Then my offer still stands", Hook said. Wolfgang looked away from the shore and out at the open sea. The salty breeze tickled his nose.

"I would gladly accept that, Captain."

* * *

**Yes, that worked... very well...**


	41. 40: Black Tires

**We still have some things left in Storybrooke before this episode is over, people! I think it's time we check up on Henry and the Charmings, don't you?**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

There were two things that had irked David Nolan during the whole day.

One revolved around what Emma had told them that morning, before she left to see Regina. He and Mary Margaret had offered to look after Henry during her training, but she had refused and instead opted to allow Hook to take the boy. The reason; Henry thought that they were boring.

Of course the boy did not know who they really were; he did not remember all of the "cool" things he had discovered about them during the previous curse. He did not know that they were his grandparents and definitely did not know that they had once been Snow White and Prince Charming back in the Enchanted Forest. To him they were the Sheriff of a boring town and a pregnant woman who had scared him with various diseases that newborn children could get during birth. All in all; boring.

When Ariel turned up and David had realized that Hook might be the only one to help her he had immediately plotted out a plan to spend time with Henry. When the pirate and the mermaid, and Wolfgang, had vanished from _Granny's Diner_ he had also sent away Indira, Filipi and Tessa, saying that he and Mary Margaret could manage on their own. He had then suggested, to Henry, that he teach him how to drive a car.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Mary Margaret asked when they walked to where his truck was parked. Henry had, excitedly, run ahead and was already sitting behind the steering wheel.

"You said you wanted to take action", David remarked, referring to their previous conversation on the beach before meeting Ariel, "so we're taking action."

"But..."

"Mary Margaret", he said and stopped, looking at her with a smile, "our grandson would rather spend time with a pirate than us, but not after today."

"It's dangerous!" Mary Margaret hissed. "Not to mention illegal!"

David smirked.

"It couldn't be safer, and as far as legality; I'm the sheriff!"

He gave her a kiss on the cheek before moving to jump in next to Henry. In the corner of his eye he saw Mary Margaret sigh and move out of the way. Still grinning he closed the passenger door behind him, meeting the gaze of an excited Henry.

"So, are you sure this is a good idea?" the boy asked.

"Well, if Killian can teach you how to steal a boat, I can teach you how to drive", David responded.

"Technically, we borrowed it", Henry pointed out. David fought the urge to roll his eyes at the pirate's way of defining _stealing_ and _borrowing_.

"Well", he said and turned the key, starting the engine, "what do you say we see how you can handle a land vessel?"

Henry's face split up in a wide grin and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. The boy's excitement caused David to smile as well. Slowly the car started to roll forward before Henry's foot slammed on the break, causing both of them to jolt forward.

"Sorry, wrong pedal", Henry excused himself.

"Don't worry", David said, smiling reassuringly. "Okay, steady now."

The car started to move forward again, going down the road at a good pace. David grinned.

"There you go", he said. Henry's eyes, though filled with concentration, also sparkled with excitement.

They then took a right turn out onto Main Street and Henry's foot pushed the gas pedal further down, causing the tires to screech as they turned. The speed also caused the narrow turn to be an impossibility and they ended up in the opposite file.

"Watch out!" David yelled and instinctively reached over to grab the wheel, narrowly avoiding a collision with another car. This movement, however, sent the car flying up on the sideway on the right side of the road, knocking over a mail box as they went and sending David jolting sideways. Henry gasped and tried to steer back onto the road again while David tried to get back into position.

When he got up they were out of harm's way, but his eyes stuck on a familiar figure they now passed. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open, staring at the truck as it passed, along with her friends. He felt as if he could not breathe and his mind was racing, going over what had happened the last time they had talked.

That was the second thing that had irked him throughout this day and also through the previous night; the kiss he had shared with Rachel back on the trail through the forest.

* * *

It had seemed like a good idea; getting out of the hospital and showing Ella the town they were in. True, there was not much to see, but it did give them something else to think about besides the threat of the Wicked Witch and Jade's habit of constantly reminding them of it. The rain had moved away as the afternoon dragged on and the temperature had been rising, so Doctor Whale had given the former coma-patient permission to take a walk from the hospital to _Granny's_ and back.

They had walked half-way down Main Street when the sound of screeching tires had caused them to stop. The next moment David Nolan's truck had turned around a narrow corner at a speed that caused it to end up in the opposite file, narrowly missing a collision with another car before steering up not far in front of them and hitting a mail box before getting back on track.

"Why is he driving like that?" Miranda said as it passed the group.

"If by he you mean David, he's not the one driving", Toby remarked. "Henry is."

"Henry?" Ella asked, frowning. "You said he was a young boy..."

"Yes, he's twelve or something like that", Toby answered. "Why is David letting him drive his truck?"

"Is Mary Margaret about to give birth?" Miranda asked.

"I don't think so", Rachel responded, pointing at the woman in question who stood close to the failed turn. She looked pale and her gloved hands were covering her mouth in a shocked expression.

"Mary Margaret!" Rachel called and hurried towards her. The woman blinked once, twice, before letting go of the car with her gaze.

"You weren't hurt, were you?" she immediately asked.

"No, we're fine", Miranda assured her, "but can you tell us what's going on?"

"Yes, why is Henry driving David's truck?" Toby filled in. "That's not even legal!"

"I tried to tell him that", Mary Margaret said, before giving a slight yelp as the car swayed up on the sidewalk again.

"Isn't there a way to stop them?" Ella asked. "A spell or..."

"Henry doesn't know about magic", Mary Margaret responded. "Well, he does, or he did, but his memories of that are gone."

"Okay, screw magic; we have to find a way to stop that truck", Rachel said. "So far they've only knocked over a mail box but soon someone could actually get hurt!"

"Please, do tell me how we can stop a careening car driven by a boy of about twelve years who has no idea what he's doing _without_ magic", Toby exclaimed.

"I don't know", Rachel responded, running her hand through her hair. "You tell me."

"We could place obstacles on the road", Miranda suggested. "They'd have to lower the speed to pass them safely."

"If the driver knew what he was doing then yes; that would work", Toby pointed out.

"Why did they even decide to do this?" Ella asked. Mary Margaret gasped as the car they were monitoring made a sudden U-turn, ending up in the opposite file and moving back towards them.

"Henry thought that we were boring and David wanted to prove him wrong", she eventually managed to respond.

"By placing him behind the steering wheel of a truck and letting him destroy the town?" Toby asked. "Why couldn't you have done something safer, like visiting the library?"

"After spending time with Hook I don't think he'd find the library as exciting as we do", Rachel pointed out. Toby looked offended at the mere thought.

"Flat tire", Ella suddenly said.

"What?" the four others asked, turning towards her.

"We can use magic to cause a flat tire", Ella explained. "There won't be a flash of light to hint at magic; the tire will simply deflate itself."

"You seriously know a spell for causing a flat tire?" Miranda asked in surprise.

"Well, I know how to deflate something, like Marge Dursley", Ella answered. "It should work on a tire as well."

As the truck approached again she knelt down as if to tie her shoelaces behind one of the parked cars next to the road, but in fact she was leaning down so that she could see beneath it. When the car appeared in front of them she muttered something twice and flicked her wand, which had been concealed inside her sleeve. A moment later the truck steered to the side and jolted to a halt as Henry pushed the break and the group on the sidewalk could see David pulling the handbrake. The two of them then stepped out of the vehicle, grinning like madmen.

"What did I tell you?" David said as they came over to the group. "Safe and sound. He even caused two flat tires on his first run."

* * *

**Ella is definitely a good person to bring along if there's a careening car to stop...**


	42. 41: Yellow Setting Sun

**Let's leave the scenes on the street for a while now. After all, Hook, Ariel and Wolfgang are still out there searching for Eric...**

* * *

After finding Eric's cloak in the shop, Belle had dripped a potion she had referred to as a Locator Spell onto the material. In response it had immediately started to float through the air and by now Hook, Ariel and Wolfgang were moving closer and closer to the docks.

"We must be getting close", Ariel said, almost like a prayer to herself. "Maybe he's on one of those boats."

Wolfgang briefly glanced at Hook, but the pirate kept his gaze focused on the cloak in front of them. The sternness of his face told enough, though; he did not like where this was going.

The cloak floated through the air towards the edge of the pier, leading them towards it, before suddenly soaring straight up and diving down, spreading on the surface of the water. Ariel frowned and cocked her head to the side.

"It... must be searching", she said. The next moment the cloak was pulled down beneath the surface by an unseen magical force and disappeared. Wolfgang lowered his gaze and saw Hook doing the same, while Ariel tried to keep her tears at bay.

"If the spell worked", she said, her voice close to breaking, "and it's taken us to Eric, then... he's gone."

Her breathing became ragged as her tears started to fall and she turned to Hook, leaning against him as she cried. Wolfgang shifted slightly, not quite sure what he was supposed to do now.

"I'm sorry", he eventually said, though he did not know if the devastated mermaid-turned-human had heard him.

They remained by the pier while the sun set and made the sky tinted with pink. Ariel's tears soon dried up and she freed herself from Hook, opting to look out over the water. Wolfgang and Hook both let her be, neither of them sure of what to say. Hook had, of course, mentioned to Wolfgang back at the diner that Prince Eric might indeed be dead, but finding the cloak had made them both doubt that. Now they knew the truth.

"I saved Eric from the sea once before", Ariel eventually said, causing them to look up at her. She still kept her back to them, so all they could see was the beige coat she had borrowed and her red hair flowing down her shoulders.

"I just... I never thought I would lose him to it in the end", she continued.

"A sailor couldn't hope for a better resting place", Hook solemnly said. This caused her to turn back towards them, her eyes streaked with red from crying. She swallowed before managing to say anything else.

"Thank you."

"We didn't do anything", Hook remarked. Ariel smiled sadly.

"You found Eric's cloak", she said. With a sigh she then turned to look back out across the sea. Wolfgang found himself wondering if the prince had died while sailing outside Storybrooke or if it had been back during the year that no one could remember. If it was the latter; why had his cloak ended up here?

"I would have never stopped looking for him", Ariel remarked, "but at least I know now that... our story's over."

Her voice was close to breaking once again and she swallowed before managing to continue.

"I just wish I knew how it ended."

She swallowed her tears and turned to Hook, who had walked towards her on the pier. Gently she grabbed hold of his uninjured arm.

"You're more than a pirate, Hook", she said. "You have a true heart. I will always be grateful that you tried to help me."

With one more forced grateful smile aimed towards Wolfgang she then started to walk away, shoving her hands in the pockets of her coat as she went. Hook's eyes trailed after her, his face filled with so many emotions that Wolfgang could not help but wonder what the hell he was thinking about. Once Ariel had vanished among the old storehouses he therefore joined the pirate by the edge of the pier.

"What's going on?" he asked. "You have been acting rather odd since the moment Ariel walked in through the door at _Granny's_."

The pirate turned away and gazed out across the sea.

"Do you ever think about leaving, Wolf?" he asked in return. Wolfgang frowned.

"Leaving?" he said. "Why? All of my friends are here; I cannot just abandon them."

"What if you did something to them that would make you want to leave?"

Wolfgang's frown deepened even more.

"What are you talking about, Hook?"

The pirate looked down at the dark water in front of him for a few second before meeting his gaze.

"I remember the missing year because I was not part of the ones who were cursed", he said, his voice sharp. "That was why they enlisted me to help Ariel."

"Yes, I sort of understood that back at _Granny's_", Wolfgang responded. "What's it got to do with me all of a sudden?"

"Because you were there when I did _everything_ wrong", Hook growled. "You, of all people, saw the logic in my foolish actions and followed in the same bloody pattern."

"You're not making any sense, mate."

Hook chuckled an unhappy chuckle.

"And you even _sound_ like me", he said. "I should have known you would remember something from that year, even if you don't know you do."

"Just... time-out, alright?" Wolfgang said, his voice sharp. "What the hell are you talking about, Hook? Take it from the beginning and explain it, because now you're not making any bloody sense at all."

Hook drew a deep breath and once again stared out across the sea.

"You helped me get her back", he said. "The _Jolly Roger_."

"That's your ship, right?" Wolfgang asked. "Not a woman I should know about?"

"Yes, it's my ship", Hook responded, his voice sharp. "It had been taken by another pirate, Blackbeard, and you helped me get it back, but while doing that we both made some terrible mistakes. Mistakes that I still know about but you were able to forget because of the curse."

"What mistakes?" Wolfgang asked. "What did I do?"

"You attacked one of your friends!"

Wolfgang blinked in surprise, feeling his mouth drop.

"Who?"

Hook groaned, but before he turned away Wolfgang managed to grab the collar of his jacket.

"Who did I attack?" he bellowed.

"Mate, calm down", Hook ordered.

"I'll calm down once you tell me the bloody truth!"

"Filipi, alright!" Hook yelled back. "You attacked Filipi with your magic, sent her crashing into some barrels by the docks and then opted to take the easy way out; running away as a pirate onboard my ship."

Wolfgang released him with a start and stepped back. He was trembling; anger, confusion and betrayal soared through his body.

"Why?" he asked, forcing himself to stay back. "Why did I attack her?"

"Because she objected with my idea of killing Blackbeard, whom we needed to be alive in order to save Prince Eric."

"So that's why you've been acting strange around Ariel, isn't it?" Wolfgang asked. "That's why you knew Prince Eric was dead before we even got here; you caused it to happen!"

"With your help!"

"For all I know you could be making this up just to lessen the blame on yourself", Wolfgang spat out. Hook looked as if someone had hit him square in the face.

"You don't trust me anymore, do you?" he asked.

"Why should I?" Wolfgang asked in return. "You've known what I did back in the Enchanted Forest during this whole time and you haven't told me about it!"

"Because I was selfish", Hook said, breathing deeply. "Because I _am_ selfish. I chose a boat, some planks and a sail, over love and friendship and I taught you to do the same. And for that I am sorry, Wolfgang. I truly am."

"Thanks for the apology, but I think the one that really deserves it is the mermaid", Wolfgang said, before turning and walking away, aiming to head back to town. For some reason he felt like he needed a drink and a strong one at that. He blamed the pirate; he probably should blame him for a lot. At least not telling the truth.

* * *

**Aw, I was really enjoying that friendship! God damn it!**


	43. 42: Green Kiss

**So I've sent in my thesis! Woho! Will probably have to re-do bits and pieces of it in the end but at least the major part of it is done and I can do things that I really want to do - such as write and keep posting chapters ;)**

**Four new chapters coming at you right now!**

* * *

Killian did not know how long he had been standing by the docks before he started to run. He still had a chance to make things right; the curse had provided him with an opportunity to apologize and come clean, to cast away the selfish pirate and believe in honour, love and friendship once more. Aye, this was his chance.

He had to guess where Ariel was heading, but soon he spotted her from the higher section of the pier. She was walking among the ships below, head still lowered and hands shoved in her pockets. He ran towards the metal gangway leading downwards.

"Ariel!" he shouted. "Wait!"

She turned to face him, hazel eyes still reddened from her tears.

"What is it?" she asked, hope sparking momentarily in her gaze. Killian took a deep breath before answering.

"I have a confession", he admitted. "I haven't been entirely truthful with you, with myself."

She frowned at him, but at least she did not interrupt him. He was not sure if he would have been able to continue if she had.

"You and I met before", he said. "Our paths crossed during the missing year."

Ariel's eyes widened.

"What?"

He closed his eyes momentarily, steeling himself for the what he was about to tell her. Wolfgang had not taken the story well and he had little doubt Ariel would, either.

"Eric had been kidnapped by the pirate Blackbeard", he explained. "You asked me to find him."

"I don't understand", Ariel said, shaking her head in confusion. "Why didn't you say anything?"

There it was; the hurt and betrayal he had seen shining from Wolfgang's eyes showed in hers as well and he had not even come to the end of the story.

"Because I was too ashamed", he answered, his voice low. In fact, he found that he had to fight back tears; they had trusted him and he had betrayed that trust, twice in fact. Why could he not do something right, just once in his life?  
"I sacrificed saving your prince for my ship", he confessed, feeling his voice breaking. "I am so sorry, Ariel."

Fresh tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she stared at him in disbelief, her lower lip trembling. Then she raised her hand and slapped him, hard, across his left cheek. The hit allowed him an excuse to look away, to avoid her burning gaze.

"You're a coward!" she yelled at him, "and a monster!"

Killian slowly turned to face her again, watching the anger and hurt shine from her face. She had every right to feel this way about him; in fact he felt the same way himself.

"You let a man _die_ for your ship?" Ariel yelled. "What kind of person does that?"

"The kind who's empty", he breathed, his voice close to breaking again, "who believes that a _ship_ can fill a void left by a broken heart."

"And that makes it okay?"

"No!" he responded. "No, it doesn't!"

He stepped closer to her, hoping that she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"I would give _anything_ to take it back, to make things right", he said.

"Anything?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, anything."

"How am I supposed to trust a man who no longer believes in love?" Ariel asked. Killian swallowed.

"I still do", he whispered.

"Then swear to me on it", the mermaid said. "This woman that broke your heart; do you still love her?"

He lowered his gaze, staring down at the wooden planks beneath his feet while images floated through his mind. First Milah, his first love, the reason for his fight with Rumplestiltskin; in the end the Dark One had killed her and Killian had vowed to avenge her death. And then, right when he was about to get the satisfaction of killing his woman's murderer, someone new had appeared in his life. One who still made his heart beat faster when she smiled, one who saw both the good and the bad in him and did not care. One who trusted him.

"Yes", he breathed and met Ariel's gaze again.

"Then swear to me on her name", the mermaid ordered. He took a deep breath before responding.

"I swear on Emma Swan", he said, his voice breaking. He was not used to confessing these things, to confessing his love for the Saviour.

A moment later he realized that he probably should not have done it now, either, because Ariel's face suddenly smiled a highly uncharacteristic smile and the tears that had threatened to spill from her eyes vanished, replaced by triumph.

"Thank you, Captain", she said, her voice soft. "That's exactly what I needed to hear."

She then raised her hand and flicked her fingers at him. Killian felt as if a bucket of oil had been latched onto his lips and stumbled back, covering his face with his hands in an attempt to be rid of the feeling. His mind was racing, his heart pumping, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"What the hell?"

He looked at Ariel again, only to see her become surrounded by an all-too familiar green plume of smoke. Then she was gone, replaced by another woman, one dressed in black. She smiled at him.

"Zelena", he breathed, eyes wide. "It was you."

He drew his cutlass.

"Where's Ariel?"

She flicked her hand and his weapon flew from his raised hand, landing far away on the pier. He stared at it, swallowing hard.

"Relax", the Witch said, drawing his gaze again. "She was never really here. After she left you on your beloved ship she actually found where Blackbeard had been keeping her prince."

"She found him?" Killian asked. "How do you know that?"

"My spies are always circling, Captain", Zelena scoffed, "through every realm; always circling. She found him on Hangman's Island, which was outside the force of the curse. They've been living _happily_ ever after ever since. Don't you just love a good twist?"

She smiled her wicked smile at him and he tried to come up with a plan of how to be rid of her, right now. He came up short.

"I don't understand", he said, deciding to try to make her talk. "Why would you pretend to be her?"

"To corrupt your love", Zelena responded matter-of-factly. "I've known about your dirty little secret for quite some time, seen the guilt on your face over the decision you made that day; I knew it haunted you."

She lowered her gaze to his lips with a smile.

"And I knew I could use it."

"Use it for what?" he demanded to know.

"When you invoked the name of your love in a selfish plea for redemption", Zelena said, "I was able to curse you. More specifically; your kiss."

He felt his throat constricting in terror. What had the Witch done to him?

"See", Zelena said and leaned closer, "the next time your lips touch Emma Swan's, all of her magic will be taken. Everything that makes her special, that makes her powerful, that makes her a threat, will be gone."

"I won't do it", Killian growled. "I'll tell her and she'll defeat you."

"Then I'll send the Dark One to kill her before you can", Zelena said. Killian gazed into her eyes and, suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.

"No, you won't", he said, feeling a smile creep up on his lips. "If you could've killed her, you would've. You need her power removed."

Zelena looked away briefly and he knew he had been right.

"It's why you didn't kill her when she came to the town", he continued. "It's why you had a monkey look after her in New York instead of killing her. For some reason; you can't."

Zelena pursed her lips and he could feel a brief flicker of triumph coarse through him. He just had to keep himself from kissing Emma, which would not be too hard, considering she did not want to pursue such a relationship with him as it was, and she would be safe.

"It no longer matters", the Witch then said and the glint in her green eyes crushed the triumph he had felt, "because you're going to remove her powers."

She stepped closer to him again.

"I may not be able to hurt Emma, but I can hurt those around her; her parents, her friends, her child."

"Do not go near them", he hissed, clenching his still functioning right hand. Zelena giggled.

"Oh, yes!" she said, eyes glittering with triumph. "You've become quite fond of the boy, haven't you? I will enjoy turning him into a monkey's breakfast."

"I'll stop you."

"No, you won't", Zelena responded, her smile disappearing and being replaced by a threatening glare. "That pointy little hook of yours can scratch a mere mortal, but me?"

She let out a cackling laugh.

"You're out of your depth, pirate. The choice is yours; kiss Emma and remove her powers, or _everyone_ she loves dies."

* * *

**Zelena...**


	44. 43: White Sands

After the successful training session Emma invited them over to Mary Margaret's apartment, which had been hers as well during her last stay in Storybrooke. The fact that it was now also protected from Zelena made it the safest place to be.

"They still haven't finished the crib", Emma sighed when they stepped inside, finding the parts spread across the floor.

"I can do that", Chris suggested. Emma turned towards him in surprise.

"Do you know how to do it?"

"I've got a wand; all it takes is a little swish and flick", the ginger boy remarked.

"You don't want them to levitate; you want them to assemble correctly", Arianne pointed out.

"Well, aren't all wand movements combinations of swishes and flicks?" Chris asked, before walking over to what would hopefully turn into a crib when he was done. Emma watched as he raised his wand and, truthfully, swished and flicked it over the pieces. All of a sudden these objects begun to move and assemble themselves, ending in the existence of a perfect crib.

"What did I tell you?" Chris said with a grin. In that moment there was a knock on the door and Emma walked over to open it. To her surprise she found Hook outside, without the company of her son.

"Swan?" Hook said, looking equally surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"What do you mean?" Emma inquired, looking around the hallway. "Where's Henry? Is everything alright?"

"He's fine", Hook responded, "he's with his grandparents. I thought they might be back here."

"We haven't seen them", Emma said, frowning slightly. "If... you're not with Henry, what have you been doing all day?"

Hook's gaze flickered down for a moment and she stepped aside, motioning for him to come inside.

"I was enlisted to help Ariel find her lost prince", he responded, still not looking at her.

"Really?" Regina said from the table, where she had sat down together with Arianne. "That fish is in Storybrooke?"

"Wait, are we talking Ariel from _The Little Mermaid_?" Arianne asked. "She's here too? Where is she?"

Hook's lengthened silence made Emma wonder if everything was alright with the pirate in front of her, but with Regina's words ringing in her ears she decided to keep her questions at bay for now.

"She was here, yes", Hook eventually said, "and we found a clue in Gold's shop which led us to discover that Eric had been shipwrecked on Hangman's Island, just off the coast of the Enchanted Forest."

"The Witch's curse must not have reached that far", Chris remarked. Hook nodded.

"Ariel's on her way there now", he said, glancing back at Emma. "She wanted me to say goodbye to Mary Margaret for her."

"At the rate mermaids swim she's probably already there", Regina said, before she rose. "In fact, let's find out."

She walked over towards the tall mirror standing in one of the corners of the room and Emma followed, still frowning slightly.

"I thought you couldn't use mirror magic to look between worlds", she said.

"I can't", Regina agreed, "but after seeing the raw power you possess, I think maybe you can."

Emma stared at her own reflection, wondering how she could possibly make it change so that she could see what was happening somewhere else. Behind her she heard Hook sigh.

"There's no need", the pirate said, "I'm sure she's fine. Anyway, it's bad form to spy on such a private affair."

His words only spurred Emma on and she focused on the mirror.

"How do I do it?"

"Well, you've focused", Regina said, "you've let emotions awaken your power, and now you have to look inward."

Earlier that day Emma would have found her words beyond confusing, and if she considered them too closely she still would have, but somehow they still made sense. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Suddenly she felt light touch her face and she looked up; the surface of the mirror had changed into the image of a faraway beach. Ariel was coming up out of the water, dressed in a blue dress, and Prince Eric was there to meet her, picking her up and spinning her around before kissing her.

"Woah", Chris said from behind.

"You did this?" Emma asked, looking at Hook. "You brought them together?"

The pirate averted his gaze again.

"No", he said, "it was Ariel. She never stopped believing."

"Modesty?" Emma said with an amused smile playing on her lips while the image in the mirror faded away. "You're just full of surprises today."

She had hardly finished the sentence when the door to the apartment opened and Henry came inside, laughing together with David. Mary Margaret walked slightly behind them and Emma could not help but notice how pale her birthmother looked, even though she managed a soft smile.

"Where have you guys been?" Emma asked, crossing her arms as she took a step towards her son. Henry grinned widely.

"Only having the best day ever", he said. "David let me drive his truck."

"You let him _what_?" Regina exclaimed, voicing what Emma also felt. David smiled sheepishly as he closed the door while Henry turned towards the woman he only knew as the town's Mayor in surprise. Regina quickly composed herself.

"As Mayor I can't let an unlicensed, underage driver out on the streets of Storybrooke."

She glanced at Emma and the blonde met her gaze, silently agreeing to talk to her father about things like this.

"As Mayor, you might want to throw a little money on road repair", David said. Henry snorted and looked down at his shoes while Regina's mouth fell open.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Nothing", David quickly responded and turned away, seating himself by the kitchen island. Emma smiled in amusement as she noticed Regina following him.

"This is a terrible mistake."

"She's right", Emma agreed. "Someone could have been seriously hurt."

"Only if you're a mailbox", Mary Margaret said from her place by the table. Emma felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"It was so much fun!" Henry said, pouring himself a glass of water. David smiled at him, then looked up at Emma.

"What can I say?" he said. "I've got a reckless, carefree, fun side."

Emma fought back a smile when she realized that this was something caused by her mentioning that Henry did not consider David and Mary Margaret to be fun company. Her father still noticed and shot a grin at her.

"Killian", Mary Margaret suddenly said, "where's out friend?"

"It turns out her missing... husband was back home, after all", Hook responded, covering up the truth in suitable words.

"It's true", Emma agreed. "We just checked in on them on... Skype."

"She sends her regards", Hook continued, "but she was too excited to wait."

"A happy ending", Arianne remarked from her place by the couches. At that Mary Margaret turned around and gave a gasp.

"The crib!" she said. "You've finished it!"

"It wasn't that hard", Chris said with a grin. "Just needed some patience and hard work."

"Thank you so much", Mary Margaret said with a wide smile. "Maybe our luck's about to change, after all. Dinner at _Granny's_?"

"Can I drive?" Henry asked, jumping up from his chair.

"No!" everyone else in the room responded at once. At least everyone but Hook, who was already moving towards the door.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you guys to it", he said. Emma frowned and followed him.

"You're not coming?"

"Another time, perhaps", he responded, opening the door and briefly meeting her gaze. She smiled.

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where we'll be", she said. He shot her a smile over his shoulder before starting to descend the stairs.

"Killian", she called, stopping him, "whatever happened this past year, whatever you're not telling me; I don't care. I'm tired of living in the past."

She had hoped he would look happy at that, as he had looked devastated when she had claimed the opposite earlier that day. For some reason, however, he did not.

"I know how you feel", he instead said, before walking down the stairs and disappearing.

* * *

He saw her right when they arrived at _Granny's_, sitting in a booth at the back with her friends. Chris and Arianne walked over there at once and when she raised her head to greet them, she immediately noticed him as well. The smile she had been wearing faltered, before she excused herself and made her way to the bathrooms.

"I'll be right back", he told Mary Margaret before he hurried after the disappearing woman.

He found her outside the diner, hurrying to get away from him. He ran after her.

"Rachel!" he called. "Wait!"

She stopped and turned as he caught up with her.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"We need to talk about what happened", he answered. "I want to apologize to you; I don't even know what..."

"It was the Witch, David", Rachel responded. "She cast a temporary spell on us meant to drive a wedge between us. I talked to Regina about it and she confirmed my beliefs."

"Well, don't you think it worked?" he asked. "This is the first time we've spoken since... since it happened and I have a feeling you're avoiding me."

"Because I'm scared", Rachel said. He saw tears shining in her eyes and stepped closer.

"Scared? Why? The spell is gone, isn't it?"

"If she managed to do it once she can manage it again", she responded. "I can't let her do that; I can't let her destroy your family."

"She won't", he said, taking another step towards her, "I promise you, she won't. But I need you, Rachel. I don't know what it was that we experienced together back in the Enchanted Forest but I need you to be here with me during this time, because I can't do this without you."

He moved to grab her hand but found an invisible wall blocking him halfway there. His eyes widened as he stared at the distance magically kept between them before meeting her gaze again. A solitary tear had managed to find its way down her right cheek.

"I'm sorry", she whispered.

"Rachel, what have you done?" he asked, reaching out with his other hand to grab her shoulder and finding the same wall there. "What have you done?"

"This is the only way to stop her, David", she said, another tear falling down from her eyes, "by keeping us apart."

"Please."

"I don't want to lose you", she clarified. "You're... like a brother to me."

He lowered his hands, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

"You are part of my family, Rachel. I know it. I can feel it and I won't lose you. I won't let the Witch get to you again."

She forced a smile, before she turned away and left him standing alone on the sidewalk. When she had disappeared around the corner he drew a deep breath and looked up at the dark sky, forcing back the tears before hurrying back to _Granny's_, walking back to the ones he knew were his family for their dinner, while feeling like there was one person missing.

* * *

**Aw, that was not fair!**


	45. 44: Grey Giant's Axe

**We're heading back to the Enchanted Forest now, people, for some flashbacks that are entirely made up by me because there are some things that I really, **_**really**_** need you to know about our newbies. Enjoy!**

* * *

_One Month Prior_

_Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

"Hey guys."

The others in the library looked up. Miranda was standing on top of one of the tall ladders reaching the top shelves. At the moment she was holding a small, leather-bound book in her right hand, seemingly nothing of importance. Still, the way she looked when she held it, studying its yellowed pages, alerted them all of the fact that it was indeed important.

"What is it?" Catriona asked. Miranda closed the book and slowly descended, a frown still etched upon her forehead.

"It's like one of those church rolls, where the priest writes the names of people who have been baptized and who their parents are", she answered once she reached the floor.

"So?" Rowan asked. "What's it got to do with us?"  
Miranda placed the book on the table, opening it up to reveal the scribbled lines covering page after page.

"Look at the notes in the margin."

Toby bent forward. Unlike the church rolls Miranda had mentioned this book only featured limited information about people; no names, only a gender was written, along with the season of birth or possibly when the person had met whoever had written the book. In the margins, however, were small, neatly drawn symbols, portraying naturalistic objects like leaves or fruits, suns or snowflakes, or even animals.

"That's... odd", he remarked, "but I still fail to see why it has anything to do with us."

"There are fifteen symbols", Miranda said. "I counted them, four times. Fifteen symbols written next to the notes of fifteen people; four boys and eleven girls."

"But... our group, the group that's here, that's four guys and eleven girls", Jade said, frowning, "or it was when Wolf was still around."

"Are there more notes in the book?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, thousands", Miranda answered and pushed the book towards the older girl. She quickly flipped through it, studying some pages more intently than others, while her frown deepened.

"This is... very strange", she eventually admitted and pushed the book back across the table. "It's also familiar."

"I thought the same", Miranda admitted. "It's like I should know what those symbols mean but I've forgotten it."

"We could ask Regina for help", Arianne suggested. The others shot doubtful stares in her direction. During the year they had spent in the Enchanted Forest no one had been able to get too close to the former Evil Queen except for three people; Snow White, whom the Queen only tolerated in certain situations, Roland, Robin Hood's son whom Regina had trouble spending time with because she despised the outlaw, and Arianne, who simply did not take no for an answer when the dark-haired woman tried to shut her out. Toby doubted that what the unlikely pair had could be defined as a friendship, but they definitely seemed to trust each other. However, the Queen had shown no interest whatsoever in helping them with their search for Ollivander. She was far too occupied with her fight against the Wicked Witch.

"I can try to talk to her, at least", Arianne pointed out. "She knows the magic symbols used in this world; maybe these are such symbols."

Everyone turned to gaze at Miranda, who had her hand on the small book. The British girl pursed her lips for a few moments before sighing.

"Well, it's worth a try, at least", she said. "I'm up for it if you all are as well."

A coherent mumble of voices was heard and Arianne smiled widely before jumping out of her chair.

"I'll go talk to her at once."

* * *

To everyone's surprise the former Evil Queen soon arrived in the library, walking slightly ahead of Arianne, her gaze dark and piercing, her clothes dark and intricate, and her long dark hair swept up in some complicated hairdo. Exactly like she used to look like. The only exception to the intimidating woman's appearance was the small spark of worry visible in her dark brown eyes.

"Well, where is it?" she demanded. Miranda immediately pushed the book across the table towards the woman, who flicked her hand at the object and caused it to soar up into the air, enabling her to read it without sitting down. Apparently the wooden benches in the library were not sufficient for a Queen of her standards.

"Do you recognize them?" Arianne asked. "The symbols in the margins?"

"No", the Queen said and flicked her hand at the book again, sending it back to the table, "they are not symbols of magic. At least not magic as we know it."

"What about fairy magic?" Tessa blurted out.

"I am highly acquainted with fairy magic, too, thank you very much", the Queen said, her voice sharp. Tessa immediately shrunk back and blushed furiously.

"But... that doesn't make sense", Rachel pointed out. "What kind of magic would it be then?"

"A kind that not even I am familiar with", the Queen responded.

"Ollivander's", Toby said, realizing what she meant. "He created a new type of magic for his wands; it's the reason why he was banished."

"But why this record?" Indira asked. "Why are all of these... unnamed people written in a book and why do some of them have those symbols?"

"I suggest you seek out the man in question to find out", the Queen responded.

"That's what we've been trying to do for the past eleven months", Toby said and looked up at her, daring to meet her gaze. "There's nothing to point us in any direction of where he might be found."

To his surprise the Queen's red lips suddenly curved up in a small smile. She flicked her hand again and the book opened to the first page. It held the faded image of a crest, not too unlike the one they all identified as the Hogwarts Crest. Except this crest had no letter in the centre of it or four animals surrounding it; instead it was a crest with a simple Saint George Cross adorning it.

"That is the crest of the North", the Queen explained. "The kingdom itself has long ceased to exist, but the crest is still used by the few people living in the area, especially if they have a connection to the old castle located there."

"How long would it take for us to get there?" Ella asked. The Queen closed the book.

"On horseback? Three or four days, if the Witch lets you by."

Gazes were exchanged among the fourteen others in the room, expressing silent questions and giving equally silent answers. Eventually Toby sighed and rose, grabbing the book as he went.

"It's the best clue we have so far", he said, "and we need to figure out why we all ended up here, what we're supposed to do. If Ollivander is really hiding out in the North we need to find him and talk to him."

"When do we leave?" Clarissa asked.

"As soon as possible", Rachel said and rose as well. "Chris, Fili, Miranda, Ella, Maryse and me will prepare the horses. Everyone else has to gather provisions, warm clothes, weapons; anything that we could need for the journey but it must not weigh us down. We need to keep up the speed."

"You should definitely stop spending time with Charming; you're starting to sound like him", the Queen scoffed. Rachel glared at her.

"Who I spend time with is none of your business, Your Majesty, just like it's not my business who you chose to keep you company."

* * *

It surprised them all how easy the journey to the North was. There were no monkeys attacking them, no green-skinned Witch flying down on her broom to stop them; the only obstacle they had to face was a blizzard that passed them while they neared the mountains, which kept them stationary for a couple of hours and then made the road harder to travel than it otherwise would have been. There was nothing odd about that as they had been warned about such weather phenomena in these areas before setting out and with the use of their wands the snow did not become too much of a hindrance in the end.

Just like the Queen had said the former kingdom of the North was sparsely inhabited, but there were traces of old abandoned villages scattered along the way; old wooden houses ready to fall apart and moss creeping up stone walls. The road they used for travel was, however, surprisingly well maintained, which made them all suspect that maybe people did live here but kept themselves hidden from visitors.

"Look!" Clarissa called as the sun started to set on the evening of the fourth day. The blonde girl had been in the lead and was now pointing at a cliff to the west, not far from the road. It was split in half as if a giant had run his blade through the whole thing, top to bottom.

"Giant's Axe", Indira said. "It was on the old map of the North that Charming showed us."

"What was on the other side?" Jade asked. The Indian girl shook her head.

"Nothing, according to the map. Just an old quarry and ruins of an old village."

"Ruins?" Toby said with a frown and pulled his horse to a halt. "Are you sure?"

"Yes", Indira responded. At that Toby turned his horse and rode in the direction of the Giant's Axe. As he closed in on it he noticed that the passageway was not straight, as it first looked like it would be, but winded and turned on its route through the mountain. It was only wide enough for one horse to pass at a time.

"Toby", Rachel called and came up next to him, "it's too dangerous to pass through there. We don't know if it gets narrower as we go and if it does we'll be trapped."

"Don't you feel it?" Toby asked, causing the older girl to frown.

"Feel what?"

Toby did not respond; instead he urged his horse forward, walking into the passageway. He heard Rachel call after him before the echoing sound of hoofs increased, indicating that she was following. As the sound increased even more, to the point of deafening, he also figured that the others had decided to take the risk. A brief flicker of doubt passed through his mind; if Rachel was right and the passageway got narrower as they went then they might have to deal with fourteen panicking horses. A good recipe for certain death.

The route through the Giant's Axe was longer than anyone had expected and as darkness fell they all opted to light their wands. The horses would probably not have any trouble finding their way through the darkness, but it certainly made them feel safer to be able to see where they were going.

When they were finally able to see the other end of the passageway Toby let out a sigh of relief; the route had not been too narrow for them to pass through after all. Upon exiting the Giant's Axe he found himself on a stone landing overlooking a lake, not quite what he had expected to find considering Indira's description of what had been on the map. His eyes widened further as he spotted the large building located on the opposite side of the water.

"That's... not possible", Filipi said and he looked to the side, finding that the others had lined up next to him. They were all staring at what lay ahead. He turned forward again and breathed out a single word, voicing what it was that they all felt was an impossibility.

"Hogwarts."

* * *

**Dun-dun-dun!**


	46. 45: Black Arrow

**And with that cliffhanger we're heading back to Storybrooke ;)**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Regina had almost finished dressing for work when the doorbell rang. She took one last look at herself in one of her many mirrors; a blue, tight fitted dress with three-quarter sleeves and cutting off at her knees, black, see-through tights, high heels and a pair of dark ruby earrings. Of course her lips were also painted in her signature red colour.

As she moved to open the door she prepared for whoever might be outside. She would not be surprised if it was one of the Charmings, most likely Emma, and for some reason she would not be surprised if it was Arianne either. Another member of Arianne's group of friends would surprise her more. Something that would worry her was if the one standing on her doorstep was Robin Hood, because that would certainly mean that something had happened back at his camp in the forest, and her final option would be Zelena, which would be both unwelcome and annoying.

Instead she opened the door and found a basket standing on the porch. As she pulled back the cloth covering its contents she found apples; green apples, at that. It made her purse her lips and glare around the garden before she picked it up.

"A gift", came a voice from behind her. Yes, it was the annoying and unwelcome option, and that Witch had obviously taken the freedom of inviting herself into her house. Regina turned around and found her, Zelena, leaning against the dining room table. She raised a glass of red wine in her direction and Regina glared, before stepping back inside and closing the door.

"From sister to sister", Zelena continued while Regina put the basket down on a side table.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, marching into the dining room. Zelena took a sip from her wine glass, then put it back down on the table and rose.

"I saw your tree", she said and started to walk around the oval table, "and I thought you could use something better. Red apples are so sickly sweet, don't you think? People tend to like something... a little sharper."

"And green apples are just bitter", Regina bit back, then glared at the porcelain statue that Zelena had picked up. "That's not yours."

Zelena scoffed.

"Story of my life."

"Why are you here?" Regina demanded to know as Zelena made her way back round the table, her fingers tracing the dark wooden surface.

"Oh, sisterly concern, sisterly advice, you know", she responded, walking past Regina out into the hall and turning towards the living room. "Wanted to make sure you were alright after our little showdown."

Regina fought back an annoyed snort.

"I'm fine", she said as she followed, "are you?"

"Getting there", Zelena responded, before placing herself on one of the white couches in front of the fireplace. "Wow, this is nice. So luxurious."

Regina leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at her. Zelena simply smiled and stroked the white cushions.

"You really don't appreciate what you have, do you?"

"Right", Regina said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "because I have everything and you have nothing."

Zelena's smile faltered somewhat, replaced by an angry glare. It made Regina laugh silently.

"If you want your superpower to be envy", she said, "go ahead."

"Envy's just another word for ambition", Zelena remarked.

"Well, that's just not true."

"See, I strive for things", Zelena continued, ignoring her comment. "I work. You..."

She scoffed and her smile returned.

"You cast a curse that was just a fancy form of running away. With every advantage you still turn your back on every opportunity to happiness."

Regina smiled and shook her head, even though, deep inside, those words stung. She had a habit of running away from possible happiness, truly, but there was no way she was going to let Zelena know that.

"You, Regina", the red-haired Witch said and rose, "you just don't take risks, you don't live your life. It's such a waste."

She walked over to the fireplace and picked up a wooden statuette of a hunting dog from its mantel. Regina fought the urge to rip it from her hands.

"I can see why our mother was so disappointed in you", Zelena continued before putting the statuette back in its place. Once again her words stung, but Regina's Evil Queen face had had years of training and did not falter so easily. Instead of showing what she felt she scoffed.

"Disappointed in me?" she said. "She gave _you_ away."

Where Regina was able to keep her emotions in check, Zelena's bubbled to the surface at once. The amused smile and mocking gaze vanished, replaced by hatred in its purest form.

"You have no idea what really happened", the Witch hissed. "That's exactly what's going to hurt you."

Regina's smile widened and she let out a small chuckle, shaking her head.

"You didn't come here to give me sisterly advice", she said, letting her smile fade. It was a trick she had used many times against unsuspecting victims of her power. Of course it was not quite as effective on Zelena.

"Why are you really here?" Regina asked again. Zelena's lips curved up in a new smile.

"So perceptive", she said. "I'm here, Regina, because I wanted to make sure you weren't someplace else, so I could take what I need."

Whatever triumph Regina had felt vanished in a flash. If her heart had still been in her chest it would have been beating rapidly and maybe it still did, wherever it was hidden.

"Or rather, the Dark One could", Zelena continued, her smile widening. "Do you feel it, sis? He's taking your heart."

When the Witch let out a triumphant cackle Regina's hand closed around a dagger, placed out on a table in cases like these, and threw it at her head with a growl. It stuck to the fireplace's mantel as the Witch disappeared in her signature green smoke. In the same moment the door burst open and Regina spun around, standing face to face with Arianne and two of her friends. All three had their wands raised.

"What happened?" Arianne asked. "Where's the Witch?"

"She disappeared", Regina responded, her throat constricting. "I'm sorry, I... I have to go. My heart, she's..."

Arianne's eyes widened somewhat before she pulled out a cellphone from her pocket, pressing a few buttons rapidly and then holding the object to her ear.

"Alert everyone", she said to whoever was responding on the other end. "The Witch has found it."

* * *

It had been an easy decision to make during their morning meeting; the Witch had two of the ingredients she needed for her curse and with Mary Margaret protected, as long as she was at her apartment, she was most likely searching for Regina's heart. They had no idea where this object was hidden and had no intention of asking the Mayor, as that might lead to people thinking the wrong thing about their course of action, so instead they had divided themselves into patrol groups. Each group had a phone to communicate with and back at _Granny's _were Sandra and AJ, also holding a phone and acting as a command central. If something happened the others needed to know at once.

Jade and Tessa had been sent to join Robin Hood's Merry Men in their forest camp, an easy decision to make as Robin would not find it odd if they turned up. Tessa loved to play with his son, Roland, and Jade was beyond excited about the life and adventures of the group of outlaws. In fact both girls had almost forgotten why they were originally there when the text arrived. Jade's eyes widened as she read it; _She's found it_.

The next moment everyone in camp got up, weapons at the ready, as a dark plume of smoke appeared at the edge of the clearing. When it disappeared it showed their new visitor; Mr Gold. Robin raised his crossbow.

"Stop right there", he ordered. Gold slowly turned to look at them, his eyes sad and pleading where the rest of him was cold, completely under the Witch's control. Jade took out her wand and her eyes flickered in the direction of where Tessa and Roland had gone off to, praying that the two would stay away. The small boy definitely did not need to see this.

"You know this arrow never misses its mark", Robin remarked.

"If I could stand down, I would", Gold said, his voice sounding forced as he was saying things the Witch did not want him to say.

"Heed me", he then said, his voice now stronger and controlled by his Mistress. "Give me the heart."

"No", Robin responded. Gold closed his eyes in desperation, just as Roland and Tessa came back to the clearing. Tessa stopped and tried to pull the boy back, causing him to drop his load of firewood. Gold turned his head towards them, his right hand slowly rising.

"And who's this?"

"Roland!" Robin yelled, his eyes leaving the man. "Go back! Get him away from..."

Tessa's body went rigid and her arm released the boy, her face contorting in pain.

"Come here, little boy", Gold said.

"Don't!" Robin begged. "Please!"

Gold looked at him momentarily.

"I don't want to", he said, his voice once again sounding forced. "I really don't."

He then turned towards Roland and flicked his fingers.

"Come closer, little boy."

Roland's legs brought him forward, even though he was fighting to stay back as his father had ordered.

"Daddy!" he called.

"And stop!" Gold ordered, flicking his fingers again. Roland pulled to a sudden halt and the ground gave way beneath his little body, causing him to sink down to his thighs. Roots bound his feet in place.

"Daddy, help!" he called.

"I didn't want to do this either", Robin said and pulled the trigger of his crossbow. An arrow soared forward. It stopped midair, a foot or two before Gold's face. Robin lowered his weapon in shock while Gold held his hand in front of the floating arrow.

"It never misses its target", the Dark One said, then flicked his fingers, causing the arrow to turn and point in the direction of Roland and the petrified Tessa, "and I've just changed the target."

Jade's eyes flickered in the direction of her friend and the small boy. The target was most likely the boy, but she could not be sure. Tessa's constricted face showed that she was still fighting Gold's spell, trying to move forward.

"If I drop my finger..." Gold begun. As one everyone among the Merry Men, and Jade, raised their weapons to attack. The next moment they were petrified, unable to move anything but their eyes. Robin had not been affected.

"Don't!" the leader of the outlaws called. Gold's eyes flickered in his direction.

"I don't want to", he said, "but I will."

"Daddy!" Roland called again. It was enough to bring Robin to a decision.

"Wait!" he begged. Gold closed his eyes in what Jade hoped was relief; relief that he did not have to kill an innocent boy while being controlled by someone else. Robin placed his crossbow on the ground and moved towards an old, thick tree not too far to his left, constantly keeping his eye on the man in the torn suit. He then knelt down and dug among the ferns growing at the tree's roots. From this hideout he pulled out a black satchel. With this in hand he then slowly approached Gold and pulled out the satchel's contents; a heart, black but with red, glowing specks shining out from its centre. Jade could hear it thumping wildly from where she stood. Gold nodded at the sight, obvious relief now passing over his face, and Robin put the heart back in the satchel before handing him the object.

"Thank you", Gold whispered, "and I am sorry. Truly."

The next moment the charm keeping everyone in place broke while the arrow soared towards Roland. Everyone turned in shock, only to see the weapon stopping an inch in front of the boy's face before falling to the ground. Tessa was standing with her wand raised, breathing hard as she kept the arrow from hitting the boy. Robin rushed up to his son and freed him from his imprisonment, Jade following closely behind.

"It's okay", the outlaw said, holding his son to him as the boy wept in relief. "It's okay, boy, you're safe."

"It's still enchanted", Tessa said through gritted teeth. "If I release it, it will hit its intended target."

"Good thing I can put an end to that", Jade remarked and raised her wand while Robin moved away, holding his son tightly in his arms. "_Reducto_!"

The arrow exploded and was reduced to a fine pile of ash, dripping to the ground between them. Just then Regina appeared in a purple cloud, followed by Arianne, Clarissa and Rowan. The Mayor stared at the scene in front of her until Robin met her gaze. At this point he handed the boy to Tessa, who immediately took him with her back to the other Merry Men.

"What happened?" Regina asked as Robin approached her.

"I'm sorry", Robin answered, lowering his gaze. "It's gone."

Regina's face paled even more and she swallowed, hard, as she looked down onto the ground.

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked, her voice betraying how scared she was of the answer. Robin's eyes flickered in the direction of his son, who was by now playing with Tessa as if nothing had happened.

"Luckily, no", Jade answered for him. Regina nodded, letting out a relieved breath.

"Regina, I must apologize", Robin said, moving closer to her. "You trusted me and I let you down."

"No, you didn't", Regina assured him. "Nothing's worth the loss of a child."

She raised her gaze to meet his and even from where she stood Jade could see fear shining in the Mayor's eyes.

"But now, we have a problem", she said. "I'm alive."

Robin frowned in surprise and Jade felt herself doing the same. She also saw Arianne, Clarissa and Rowan pulling similar faces.

"I don't follow", Robin admitted.

"She has my heart", Regina explained. "Gold's taken it for her and since she hasn't crushed it and killed me, that means she needs it for something far worse."

"Worse than murder?" Clarissa asked. "What is she planning?"

"It doesn't matter", Regina responded, gritting her teeth, "because I'm going to stop her."

* * *

**More chapters coming later today, alright?**


	47. 46: Brown Cowhide

**Sorry for not posting anything yesterday, or Saturday night! Completely forgot. Guess that's what happens when you're not used to doing this regularly anymore...**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

When Maryse and Catriona showed up outside the pawnshop and offering to help Belle sort through the large collection of objects, the brunette was quick to accept. She had, however, been very surprised when Maryse's phone received a secret text and the two girls had explained that they had been sent there to try to find Regina's heart before the Wicked Witch could, in an attempt to protect it. Belle, of course, told them straight away that the Mayor's heart was not to be found in the shop, but the notion of it actually being found by their enemy worried her.

"We can still help you with the sorting", Catriona assured her. "If Zelena's found the heart I don't know what we'll be able to do to stop her. The goal was to find it and hide it somewhere else without her knowing and then keep moving it around to confuse her."

"Why would you..." Belle asked, before a sound of someone tearing down things on the floor out in the shop silenced her. She quickly hurried back out there and saw the back of Regina by one of the far counters. The woman was busy tearing down objects on the floor, growling that they were useless.

"Hey!" Belle called. "Hey, stop! Stop it!"

Regina did not seem to hear her; she just continued tearing through the objects.

"What are you looking for?" Belle demanded to know as Maryse and Catriona joined her.

"I need to destroy my sister", Regina said, sounding uncharacteristically stressed. "She has my heart."

Belle let out a shocked breath and took a step back. If Zelena had Regina's heart but had not crushed it, the woman in front of her was a danger to everyone. Possession of someone else's enchanted heart did, after all, enable you to control them. Regina noticed her move and huffed.

"Relax, she can't control me with it", she said before moving on to the next counter. "I protected it from that. Problem is I don't know what she's planning on using it for!"

She closed the book she had been flipping through with a slam, looking exasperated. Belle had never seen the woman in front of her look so stressed about anything, which was worrisome in itself. Personally, however, she did not like having Regina in the shop. There was too much bad history between them for her to like such a thing.

"I need to take her out", Regina continued, taking a deep breath. She then turned towards Belle and, to the brunette's surprise, a flare of hope appeared in the Mayor's eyes.

"That's why I need your help", the dark-haired woman said and walked forward, until only one counter separated them. "What do you have here?"

"What do I have here?" Belle said, feeling anger flare up inside of her. She wanted this woman out of this building right away, not help her.

"Self-respect!" she continued, earning a surprised look from Regina. "Why on Earth, or any realm, would I help you; the woman who imprisoned me in a tower in her castle, then put me in an asylum for 28 years, who's done nothing but mentally and physically torture me ever since we've known each other?"

"Huh", Regina said, pulling back somewhat, "bookworm's got teeth."

And of course the sarcasm came out. Belle felt like slapping her, but resented to simply rolling her eyes and pointing at the door.

"Get out."

"Yes", Regina instead responded, placing her hands on her hips, "I did all those horrible things, in the past, but right now I need something to defeat the woman who's puppet-mastering your boyfriend."

Belle's anger faded away as quickly as it had risen at the mention of Rumplestiltskin and the fact that Regina sounded utterly desperate was definitely also a reason for it.

"She has your Rumple", the Mayor continued, "and unless you help me you may never see him again."

She tried to look angry at the fact that Regina's plea for help sounded like a threat. The former Evil Queen seemed to understand and looked down briefly, sighing.

"I'm sorry, Belle", she said when she looked up again, sincerity shining from her eyes. "I really, really am."

"Belle, she's right", Maryse said, causing Belle to glance back. "If Zelena has her heart we're in deep trouble, especially since we don't know what she's going to do with it."

Belle sighed and turned back towards Regina.

"I've been trying to match the ingredients that Zelena's been collecting", she admitted, "to whatever spell she intends to cast. It would really help if I knew... what is so special about your heart? Does she just want it because you're sisters, or..."

"I have no idea", Regina truthfully responded. Then, suddenly, her sad face changed and there was a sparkle of hope in her eyes once again.

"The candle", she said, her red lips widening into a smile. "Where's the candle?"

"Here?" Catriona said, picking up a three-armed silvery candleholder from on top of a box. Regina, who had walked over to search one of the many cupboards in the room shook her head.

"Not that, Liberace", she said, "the two-sided candle Snow used to kill my mother. Where's that?"

Belle immediately walked over to the box that the previously shown candleholder had been standing on and opened one of its drawers, pulling out a two-sided candle held together by a metal cord. One candle was white, the other black, and at the centre of the cord glowed a blood red stone.

"Its power is gone", she pointed out. "Now it's just a relic."

Regina turned towards her and her lips widened in a smile.

"Yes, that's it!" she said and walked over, taking the candle in her hands. Belle frowned at her in surprise.

"This isn't about how my mother died", Regina continued, smiling deviously, "this is about how she lived."

With those words she then spun around and hurried out through the door, its bell chiming as she left the trio staring after her.

"What was that about?" Maryse asked.

"I have no idea", Belle admitted and closed the drawer she had collected the candle from. "I'd better get back to researching the curse."

"We'll keep sorting through things while you're at it", Catriona suggested. "The others can always call us if they need any help."

"That'd be great, thank you", Belle said with a smile and walked past them towards the doorway leading to the storage room at the back. Just as she crossed the threshold a heavy cowhide tumbled to the ground from atop one of the cabinets behind her, causing her to jump in surprise.

"It's okay", Maryse said. "It probably just lay at a bad angle and fell down due to the floor moving beneath your feet."

"Yeah, probably", Belle said and frowned at the hide, "but I've never seen that thing before."

"You mean it wasn't here during the last curse?" Catriona asked. Belle shook her head.

"I mean it hasn't been here since we got back here, either."

Maryse frowned as well and moved to pick up the object. It immediately started to unroll and the girl opted for unrolling it on the floor of the shop. As she did a pattern drawn in black ink came into view.

"What is that?" Catriona said and crouched down next to her friend. Belle soon joined them, tracing the lines of a large star at the centre of the hide.

"I've never seen anything like this before", she admitted.

"That's weird", Maryse said. "There are fifteen points."

"Why's that weird?" Belle inquired.

"Because there are fifteen of us", Catriona responded, realizing what Maryse had meant, "fifteen in our group of people, fifteen who wield wands. And look at these things."

Her fingers traced what seemed to be a burn mark on the inside of one of the star's points. Similar marks were found inside all points, all of them with intricate patterns.

"Hold on", Maryse said and pulled out her wand, placing it next to one of the burns, "it's a match. The pattern on my wand matches the pattern on the mark! Cat, try yours."

The other girl was quick to follow and soon found the mark matching her wand. "These marks are recent", Belle observed. "The ink pattern is older but these marks... they're not even a month old."

"We need to tell the others", Maryse said and removed her wand. "Is it alright if they all come here, Belle?"

"Yeah, sure", Belle responded. Her fingers traced an inked symbol of a rose, pointed out by the star point containing Maryse's burn mark. It felt cold to her touch; not uncomfortably so, but unnatural. Whatever this cowhide was it contained magic. Powerful magic.

* * *

**Hm, interesting...**


	48. 47: White Haired Man

**Time to find out more about the fact that HOGWARTS appeared, don't you think?**

* * *

_One Month Prior_

_The North, Enchanted Forest_

They trotted in beneath the archway of the castle and jumped off their horses in the courtyard. The windows above them were all as dark as the sky above their heads, making them feel uneasy.

"How is this even possible?" Chris asked as they led their horses to the stables. "The others all said that Hogwarts didn't exist."

"Well, maybe they couldn't see it", Tessa suggested. "Indira said that the map had told us of a quarry and some ruins in this location; that's sort of what Rowling said that Muggles would see if they stumbled upon the school."

They found enough stalls for all of their horses and fresh hay waiting for them, as if they had been expected. Silently they unsaddled their animals and gave them a quick brush, before walking out of the stable and up the grand staircase. The castle was not exactly like how it had been depicted in the movies, but they were all sure of what it was nonetheless; this was Hogwarts.

The large oak doors opened without any resistance, letting them into a grand foyer. Fires magically lit up around the walls as they entered.

"Stay together", Indira ordered and drew her wand. The others did the same, moving silently through the room. Stairs and doors led in all different directions, but to the right were a large pair of double doors; the doors that, according to the books about _Harry Potter_, led to the castle's Great Hall.

"_Alohomora_", Catriona whispered at the lock and the doors slowly swung open, revealing a large room shrouded in darkness. However, once they all walked across the threshold fires blazed around the walls and wax candles floating through the air caught on, illuminating the entire room. It was truly like how the hall had been depicted in the stories they had read.

The difference? There were no long tables visible, only one small, round one covered in an old brown cowhide.

"That's slightly disappointing", Filipi said.

"And that was an understatement", Maryse muttered as they walked inside the hall. Rowan was the first to reach the cowhide and he quickly waved at them to come closer.

"Guys, look at this."

They all hurried up to him, circling the table and studying the inked pattern in surprise. In the centre of the hide was a large star with fifteen points. Each point was, in turn, pointing at a smaller, inked symbol.

"Hold on", Miranda said and pulled out the leather-bound book from her satchel, "those are the same symbols."

"What on Earth are they?" Clarissa breathed. Miranda flipped through the yellowed pages.

"I don't know how it's written", she eventually sighed. "I thought it might be from oldest to youngest, but apparently that's not the case, as the first two people with symbols in the book are a boy and a girl, not two girls."

"And it doesn't work in reverse order either", Rachel sighed and leaned against one of the chairs.

"Shouldn't we be looking for Ollivander instead?" Jade asked.

"No need."

The soft voice coming from behind them caused everyone to jump and spin around, with Toby letting out a startled squeal, wands at the ready. In front of them now stood an old, very familiar man.

"Ah", he said as his lips widened in a smile, "I did not recognize you from behind, but now..."

He touched his finger to the tip of Maryse's wand and she dropped it with a curse, flicking her hand as if it had burned her.

"Yes, these I do recognize", Ollivander continued. "I must say, I am very surprised to see you all."

"Why is that?" Indira asked.

"Because you and these wands all belong in another realm, where I sent you."

"No, you sent us here when we last met you", Chris replied. Ollivander frowned slightly.

"I have no memory of doing such a thing", he admitted. "When did I do that?"

"Almost a year ago", came Rachel's answer. Ollivander looked slightly taken aback.

"Ah", he said and turned, moving up the stairs to where the high table would have been standing. There he pulled out his own wand and flicked it, causing a chair to quickly move forward from behind a statue.

"I have been nowhere else but in this castle for the past eighty years", he then said as he sat down, sighing in relief. "It was where I fled during my exile, as it is protected from the likes of fairies and sorcerers."

"Eighty years?" Catriona said, lowering her wand slightly. "How's that possible?"

"Oh, the magic kept me young for quite some time", Ollivander responded.

"No", Toby said, "I think Cat means how is it possible that you haven't left this place but we are all sure we met you a year ago?"

"Now that's the question, isn't it?" Ollivander said and leaned slightly forward, his gaze travelling from one person to the other. "That is one of the most important questions that we need to find an answer for."

He leaned forward even further, resting his arms on his bony knees and clasping his hands.

"Although I will be the one asking questions. Wands away, if you please."

To prove that he was sincere he threw his own wand on the floor to his right, out of reach for him. The fourteen others looked at him and then at each other, before slowly putting away their weapons; not throwing them away like he had, but still. It seemed to please him.

"Now, my first question is how you all got back here."

"What do you mean back?" Clarissa asked. "We've never been here before... have we?"

"You were when you were all young newborns", Ollivander responded, frowning at them. "I see none of you know the story of that."

"The story of what?" Toby asked.

"Over the course of the years, since before my exile", Ollivander begun, leaning back in his chair, "I have aided many poor families who found themselves giving birth to a child of magic. Such children are always in danger of falling into the Dark One's clutches and so I was visited by many and asked to find a way to send these children to safety. Newborns, they all were, and I have no doubt that it must have been a terrible decision to make for the parents, but I promised them that their children would be safe. When the fairies found out about this other business of mine they were furious and caused my exile."

"I thought you making wands for humans caused that", Miranda said. Ollivander shook his head, sending his bushy, white hair flying.

"No, no, that's what the fairies allowed others to know. The wands were no real problem to them, at least not the ones I made back then. The ones you hold, however, might cause some disturbance among their ranks."

"But what happened then?" Tessa asked.

"Ah, they sent me away, exiled", Ollivander responded. "Here, to the North, they exiled me and I built myself a home next to the Giant's Axe. To my surprise families with children of magic kept showing up and I decided that I needed to do something else besides send them away. They had to be safe from everyone else with magic in order to focus their gifts, so..."

He gestured at the stone walls surrounding them.

"I built this. Hog's Castle, I named it, and it would have been a school for children of magic if it wasn't for the Dark Curse. Three years before it hit I knew of its existence and I knew it wouldn't reach this far, and neither would the counter curse cast by the Queen of Hearts, which froze half the land in time."

He leaned slightly forward again.

"And that was when I saw it."

"Saw what?" Arianne asked.

"The star", Ollivander answered. "The fifteen pointed star. No other star had ever been so clearly defined up in the sky, but this one; this one was exact. And I knew its nature; it was a prophecy that needed to be written down, one that I would play a part in. A minor part, but a part. I saw that fifteen of the children of magic would be needed in the battle to come, a battle between light and dark, and to fight it they needed the most powerful wands I had ever created. They also needed one other thing."

He flung his arm out in the direction of the table with the cowhide.

"Connections."

He waved at them, telling them to walk over there while he remained seated.

"With the Dark Curse approaching I tracked down all children of magic in the realm, finding the fifteen that I knew would be destined to do exactly this. It was risky, as I constantly had to avoid being recognized, but eventually I found them all."

"Us", Rachel stated. "You found all of us. We're the children of magic that you tracked down back then."

Ollivander smiled.

"So we have family in this world?" Filipi asked.

"You do, or you did, depending on what happened after I sent you away. Wars were raging at the time and many innocent men and women died during those battles."

"And now we're back, to fulfil this prophecy of yours?" Rowan asked.

"Yes, which brings me back to my first question; how did you all come back?"

"We fell through a portal", Jade responded. "It appeared right after we'd met you and you'd given us our wands and then we found ourselves here, meeting fairytale characters and fighting the Wicked Witch of the West."

Ollivander blinked.

"Zelena", he sighed. "I should have known she would be the one to pose this new threat."

"You know her?" Clarissa asked.

"Knew", Ollivander corrected. "She's a child of magic, just like you all are; awfully skilled. But her mother refused to let me send her away to safety; instead she left her out in the forest and a portal cyclone took her, bringing her away. Many years later I found out that she had figured out the truth and wanted to claim what she saw as rightfully hers; what her sister, Regina, got instead. It would seem she now prepares to enact whatever she has been planning to do."

"We have to stop her", Indira said. "The people we've met have already been through enough; ending up as victims of some green Witch is not what they deserve."

"Then who are your allies, may I ask?" Ollivander said.

"Those who were once victims of the Dark Curse", Rachel responded, "led by Snow White and Prince Charming."

Ollivander's eyes widened somewhat before he broke into a grin.

"Then I hear you have already found your family."

* * *

**What? What? What?**


	49. 48: Blue Glow

**Sorry, cliffhangers mean change of setting. Back to Storybrooke we go!**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

So far they did not know why Regina had invited them or why she had asked them to sit down by the table in her library, but the waiting period caused the discussion he and Mary Margaret were now having to be inevitable.

"Emma, will you please tell your mother that we're not going to name your brother Leopold?" David said once his daughter sat down by the table, followed by Hook, who was definitely not in his usual, carefree mood this evening. Emma's eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth to answer, but Mary Margaret interrupted her.

"Why not? It was my father's name!"

"People will make fun of him", David argued.

"My father was a king", his wife sharply answered.

"Which was why nobody made fun of him."

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay", she sighed, "what about Eva, after my mother?"

"I don't know how that'll work with a boy", David replied. In the corner of his eye he saw Emma's amused smirk and Hook squirming on the chair, wishing he was someplace else.

"It might not be a boy", Mary Margaret pointed out, cocking her eyebrow at him. David could not help but smile at her determination to name their second child after one of her parents; it was definitely a trait he loved about her. Scratch that; he loved all of her and he always would.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Regina entered through the door, balancing a tray with a silver teapot on her left arm.

"I was making this special tea", she continued and leaned forward, pouring the tea in the already prepared cups standing on the table. David immediately reached for the one in front of him and brought it up to sniff the liquid.

"No, don't drink it!" Regina yelled, almost causing him to drop the cup. He stared up at her in surprise while lowering the object and she blushed, calming herself while pouring the liquid in the remaining cups.

"It's a deadly poison for summoning the dark vortex", the Mayor continued. He put the cup back on the table with a sigh.

"I prefer Earl Grey", he remarked.

"The dark what?" Emma asked, looking at the cups in front of them.

"Zelena came by this morning", Regina responded, not looking at anyone among the gathered. Everyone was, however, looking at her. She placed the teapot and the tray on another table, closed the door again and sat down with a sigh.

"While the Dark One was stealing my heart", she continued, "she was here gloating."

They all already knew that the Witch had stolen Regina's heart; it was the first thing she had told them when asking them to come by.

"She said that my weakness was that I don't know enough about her past, so I've decided to summon someone who does."

Regina flashed a smile at them, but David was sure he was not the only one who saw the insecurity shining in her eyes. She then folded her hands on the table, looked at them intently for a while, drew a deep breath and finally looked up at them again.

"We have to talk to my mother", she finished. David heard Mary Margaret inhale sharply to his left and knew exactly what was going on in his wife's mind. After all, she had been the one to kill the woman in question. Her spirit would not be so forgiving of that.

* * *

"I'm sure I've seen this somewhere before", Rachel said, walking around the cowhide on the floor of the pawnshop another time, staring at the ink and the burn marks left from their wands.

"You're not alone in that", Filipi remarked. "This is probably the most familiar thing we've found so far."

Rachel knelt down and ran her fingers along the inked symbol of a rearing horse, which was right next to the burn mark caused by her own wand.

"Whatever we used it for in the past it was powerful magic", Maryse said above her head. "Belle said so; she'd sensed it, somehow."

"It feels strange", Chris agreed, "like it's colder than it should be. The ink, I mean."

"Why the burn marks, though?" Miranda asked. "Why did our wands cause that whenever they were placed there before? They did not cause something like this now, did they?"

"We must have done something different the last time", Ella agreed, "but what?"

Rachel pursed her lips, her fingers still touching the horse.

"We matched them individually", she realized. "Last time we must all have placed our wands there at the same time. Now some did not even place them down; they just held them next to the burn mark and identified the pattern."

"How did you ever come up with that answer?" Toby asked, frowning.

"I don't know", Rachel responded. "It just... appeared."

"Like the hide itself", Catriona said. "Should we try it? Place our wands on our burn marks at the same time and see what happens?"

"Not in here", Maryse responded, her voice sharp.

"Agreed", Indira said. "If this thing contains powerful magic and we are somehow able to unleash it by placing our wands on it we don't want to be indoors."

"But if we go outside we might draw the attention of Zelena", Clarissa remarked.

"For some reason", Toby said, "I think we won't."

Everyone blinked at him in surprise, before Rowan, Filipi, Chris and Arianne helped carry the heavy hide out of the shop. They needed to find a good, safe place to try their theory, and fast. Rachel frowned at her own thoughts. Why fast? What was the hurry?

* * *

"It's a fairly simple ritual", Regina explained, "but not often performed."

She had by now placed a mahogany pole in the centre of the circle of teacups and, on top of this pole, was a very familiar candle. David had felt uneasy the moment she brought it out; the black and white candle which had cursed Cora's heart and caused her death when the object was inserted back into her chest. A curse caused by his wife.

"If it's easy to talk to the dead, why not do it more?" Emma asked, frowning.

"Well, because to do it you need the murder weapon", Regina answered, her gaze flickering over the candle before rising up to look at Mary Margaret on to opposite side of the table, "and the murderer."

Mary Margaret inhaled sharply again and David reached over to hold her hand. She squeezed it in comfort while Regina lit the two ends of the candle, allowing the wax to drip down in containers below.

"What do we need to do?" Emma asked.

"Focus on Cora", Regina said and placed her hands, palms up, on the table before closing her eyes. David met Emma's gaze briefly before he reached over and took Regina's left hand. Emma took her right, then linked herself with Hook by touching his left arm above his hook. The pirate seemed to have regained some sense of humour in this dire situation.

"Welcoming thoughts?" he joked.

"Whatever you got", Regina responded, while Hook took Mary Margaret's free hand in his uninjured one, completing the circle. David closed his eyes, guessing that this was something they all also needed to do.

"Is it..." he heard Emma begin. Regina instantly hushed her. The candle burned and hissed and, suddenly, it was as if a cold breeze had found its way into the room, despite the closed door and windows. David heard how the fire in the fireplace behind him went out with a sharp hiss before a low, screeching sound caused him to open his eyes. They were bathing in a ghostly, blue light caused by a spiralling vortex above their heads.

"We did it", Mary Margaret gasped to his left. He could not look away from the object above his head, only squeeze his wife's hand in support and comfort. She was terrified and he knew it.

"Cora?" Regina called to his right. "Mother, can you hear us? Cora, give us a sign!"

He had trouble breathing regularly and he felt his heart beat as if it threatened to break out of the ribcage.

"Do _not_ ignore me now, mother", Regina ordered. He swallowed, hard, and tried to regain control of his breathing.

Only he could not. He could not breathe. His breath came in short gasps and he got less and less oxygen down into his lungs, yet he could not act and alert the others of his situation.

He was trapped.

* * *

"It's impossible for all of us to put the wands down at exactly the same moment", Toby remarked as they spread the cowhide in the small clearing they had found in the forest. Jade and Tessa believed they were far enough away from Robin Hood's camp to not disturb the Merry Men and they should also be able to avoid being detected by someone from town. Now they were all standing around it, close to their individual symbols.

"Maybe it's enough if they're all on it at the same time", Clarissaa suggested. "I'll go first, if you want."

The others nodded and she slowly knelt, placing her wand on the burn mark next to the symbol of a swan. They then went clockwise around the star's points, causing Rachel to be the fourth to place her wand down. She then watched as the others continued in the same manner, ending with Arianne. Kneeling next to her symbol of an apple she looked up at the rest of them. So far nothing had happened.

"Everyone ready in case something happens?" she asked. The others nodded and Rachel felt her teeth dig into her cheek, a habit of hers when she was focused. She then watched as Arianne carefully placed her wand on top of her burn mark and stepped back.

Nothing happened. Not the slightest indication of magic occurred.

"Well, that's... disappointing", Rowan said.

"Maybe we did something wrong", Tessa said.

"Or maybe it doesn't work in this world", Catriona sighed. "Maybe..."

Rachel stopped listening, frowning at her own wand in front of her. It was trembling slightly and when she raised her gaze she noticed that the others had started to do the same.

"Wait", she ordered, silencing the others. "Look."

The trembling increased so that a loud rattling was heard while white light seemed to pulsate along the shafts of the wands, tracing the outlines of everyone's individual pattern. The light seemed to seep out into the hide, into the burn marks, intensifying them, and then spreading to the star. The ink started to glow with a bright, blue light, spreading to all fifteen points and then seeping into the individual symbols.

And that was when Rachel felt it; she could not breathe. Her hand came up to her throat, tracing the bruises and clawing at whatever it was that caused this feeling. To her right Catriona seemed to notice what was going on and alerted the others, but to their surprised none of them could move. Their feet were stuck to the ground.

"What the hell is going on?" Wolfgang yelled as the light grew upwards, towards the sky, and shot out tendrils towards them. The tendrils shooting out towards Rachel did not reach her. She stared at them as they tried to get to her as she struggled with breathing, but they came up short, as if touching a solid wall. The connection is blocked, a voice inside her head whispered. Panic rose inside of her. What connection? Why could she not breathe?

An image flashed through her head of someone in the same situation, someone she knew very well. His blue eyes were wide with terror as he was locked in the same position, unable to breathe, unable to alert anyone of what was happening.

"David", she tried to say, but her voice broke. The cold silver chain around her wrist drew her attention and she instinctively removed it, tossing it on the ground. They shared a connection, she knew that, and she had blocked it with fear. Now she had to remove that blockade.

David, she thought, closing her eyes. David. David. Divad.

* * *

**Please tell me things are alright...**

**(I know, I know; my story, I shouldn't freak out, but re-reading it makes me do that anyway)**


	50. 49: Leaving the White Mansion

**Solutions and answers, please?**

* * *

It all happened very fast and he was not quite sure in which order it happened, or if it all happened at the same time. His ability to breathe returned. There were five glowing specks of light shining at the edges of the vortex above their heads. And the table shook, causing Mary Margaret to give a startled yelp and release both his and Hook's hand. The circle now broken, the vortex instantly vanished.

"Sorry, love", Hook apologized. "That was me; I crossed my legs and bumped the table."

He smiled sheepishly and Regina closed her eyes, disappointment etched upon her face. She then leaned forward and blew out the flames burning on the candle.

"Do we try it again?" Mary Margaret asked.

"No", Regina answered and sat back. "There's no point. It worked; the portal opened, but nothing came from it."

"That's the first time I've been reduced to nothing", a grumbling voice from the floor said, causing the five of them around the table to rise, startled. David's chair tipped backwards and nearly hit a very familiar, young woman, but she quickly moved away and stood.

"How did you all get here?" Regina asked, staring at the five newcomers in the room.

"I'm guessing we managed to link whatever magic we were all wielding together", Rachel said, massaging her throat. David frowned; were her bruises more apparent today than they had been the day before?

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, turning towards Arianne, who had appeared behind her. "What magic were you using?"

"We found something in Gold's shop that seemed to link our wands together", Arianne responded, "and when we did it... sort of sent the five of us here."

David turned and looked at the others who had appeared. Wolfgang was the one who had spoken first; he had appeared behind Hook. Catriona stood behind Mary Margaret and behind Emma stood Clarissa.

"What were you doing?" Clarissa now asked, frowning at the candle on the table.

"That's the candle you found at the shop, isn't it?" Catriona asked in return, looking at Regina. "It had something to do with your mother."

"Yes", Regina answered, "we tried to talk to her, tried to get her to tell us about Zelena. Only... she didn't want to talk to me."

She sighed and looked down.

"Guess whatever secrets lie in her past she wants to keep buried there."

"Well, maybe Belle will have more luck", Arianne said. "Last we saw her she was busy doing research in the shop regarding Zelena's possible curse."

"Exactly", David agreed as Regina moved to open the door, letting them out of the small library into the foyer. "There has to be something in those books that can help us."

"Right", Emma agreed and led the way out, "my magic gets stronger every day. By the time this all goes down, I'll be ready."

"Make... make sure you are", Regina said, another shadow of worry passing over her face.

"We'll all be", Clarissa assured. "This cowhide that we found at the shop proves that there is some really good reason for us being here to help you and maybe, with that to help us, we can figure out how to use the wands against Zelena."

Regina nodded slightly.

"Come on", Emma said and put on her black coat, "let's go."

She led the way to the door and David moved to link his arm with Mary Margaret's, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"Go ahead", she said. "I'm going to stay and talk to Regina. I'll help clean up."

"I'm not in the mood for a heart-to-heart", Regina responded.

"I'm not sure that's physically possible right now", Mary Margaret pointed out, causing the other woman to stop and turn towards her again. David watched as a small smile played on her red lips before she nodded.

"You can help with the teacups."

David met his wife's gaze one more time before walking out through the door, joining the others. Rachel just removed her phone from her ear.

"I've alerted the others of what happened", she said. "They're still in the clearing. Our wands went with us when we came here so the magic stopped when we disappeared."

"But why did we come here?" Catriona asked. "Why the five of us?"

"I think it has something to do with the symbols next to where we placed our wands", Rachel responded, glancing at David, Hook and Emma. "On the cowhide that Maryse and Cat found in the shop was a star with fifteen points, and each point pointed towards a symbol. There were also fresh burn marks matching the patterns on our individual wands. I'd say that the symbol means one person and the wand symbolizes another, while the star links them all together."

"So, why did we come here?" Wolfgang asked, frowning.

"Think about it", Rachel responded. "The five symbols next to our wands; after landing here they become awfully clear."

"Swan", Clarissa breathed, causing Emma to turn.

"Yes?"

"No, my symbol on the hide was a swan", Clarissa clarified, "and I landed... behind you."

"What were the other symbols?" David asked, turning towards Rachel.

"A snowflake", Catriona answered instead, "and I landed behind Mary Margaret."

"An apple", Arianne responded. David knew she had ended up behind Regina in the room and if there was one woman known to like that fruit, it was the Mayor.

"Water waves", Wolfgang grudgingly admitted, glaring at Hook.

"And yours?" David asked, turning towards Rachel again. She inhaled deeply before she answered.

"A horse", she eventually responded. He considered it for a while; it was not a clear connection to him, not as clear as the others had been, but he certainly felt at home with horses and something told him Rachel did as well.

By then they had reached _Granny's Diner_ and he looked up at the neon sign.

"Anybody want something to drink?" he asked.

"Sure", Emma responded. "Anyone else."

The others quickly agreed and Arianne pulled out a phone, probably sending a text to their other friends about where they were. When he was about to head in, Rachel touched his arm.

"Hey, can we... talk for a minute?"

He glanced down at her hand and then nodded.

"You guys go ahead, we'll be right there", he said. Emma frowned at him momentarily before she nodded and walked in after Hook. Once the door had closed he crossed his arms over his chest, studying the woman in front of him.

"So, we can touch each other again?" he asked. "You've broken the spell?"

"I had no choice; you were choking because of it", Rachel remarked. He frowned.

"How did you know that?"

"I saw it", Rachel sighed and sat down on one of the chairs outside the diner. He followed.

"When the spell contained in that cowhide started to work I felt like I couldn't breathe", she clarified. "It was like I was back on that trail, with your twin shadow trying to choke me, and then something told me that the connection was being blocked and I saw you experiencing the same thing. I didn't really think; I just... I knew I had to save you, so I broke the spell."

He nodded, seeing the regret and shame on her face.

"I don't blame you for anything", he pointed out. "I got us into this situation in the first place."

"No, you didn't", she huffed. "The Witch did. You just happened to be the first to act on her spell."

"And you're not afraid she'll try the same thing again?" David asked. She turned to meet his gaze, a faint smile flickering on her lips.

"Well, I'll always be afraid", she responded, "but who isn't? It's just a matter of finding a way to overcome that fear."

He smiled and placed his arm around her shoulder, holding her to him.

"Never do something like that again", he sighed. "I refuse to lose you."

"Considering we belong in two different world, that might be a tad bit difficult in the end."

He loosened his grip slightly so that he could meet her gaze again.

"I meant what I said yesterday. You're part of my family, Rachel, and if there's one thing I do not give up on, it's family, and we face things together. Can you promise me that we will?"

"I would be honoured to stand by your side during the battles to come, Prince Charming", Rachel said with a teasing smile, "even if that just means making sure you don't faint while your wife is giving birth."

He groaned.

"You know, I might take you up on that promise."

* * *

**Aw, bonding time!**


	51. 50: Night in the Red Room

**More answers heading your way, people! Back to the castle in the North we go!**

* * *

_One Month Prior_

_Hog's Castle, Enchanted Forest_

Rachel stared at the old man sitting in his chair in front of them, smiling in a very peculiar way at her surprise.

"What do you mean I've already found my family?" she asked.

"Well, you found Prince David, did you not?" Ollivander asked. "There's your family."

"You just said that only poor people left their children with you", Catriona protested, "and now you're claiming that Rachel's somehow related to a prince?"

"Oh, but he wasn't always a prince, now was he?" Ollivander said, his pale silvery eyes still stuck on Rachel. Her own eyes widened in realization and she turned back towards the table, slumping down on one of the chairs surrounding it.

"What is it?" Tessa asked, grabbing her arm. "What does he mean?"

"David's... not a prince by blood", Rachel eventually managed to answer. "His parents were poor and he was raised as a shepherd, and then when he was a man grown... he found out that he had a brother, a twin, who had been adopted by a barren king and queen, and this brother died... David replaced him to save his family."

Absentmindedly she put her wand down on the cowhide.

"No, don't!"

Ollivander had risen and, with a movement so fast it should have been impossible for an old man, grabbed his wand and shot a spell at her own, sending it flying back through the room.

"What the..." Chris begun.

"Do not place your wands on the hide", Ollivander ordered as he marched back down the stairs to the table.

"What happens if we do?" Ella asked with a frown. The old man turned to look at her.

"The hide is enchanted", he responded, "with an enchantment that can only be activated by your wands. Place your wands in the right spot within the star's lines and you will have access to pure light magic."

"Is that how we're going to defeat the Wicked Witch?" Filipi asked.

"It can aid you, yes, but it will not be enough. Your wands are built for both light and dark magic. The enchantment in this object will strengthen the light, but to defeat Zelena you need a person capable of only wielding light magic. Someone who was born out of True Love."

"Emma Swan", Clarissa said, causing the others to turn towards her. "She's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming; a product of True Love. And they call her the Saviour."

"Well, trouble is she's back in another world", Rowan pointed out. "The Queen said that all portals closed after we got here."

Ollivander chuckled.

"Ah, it sounds like you have had quite some company during your stay here."

"These symbols", Rachel interrupted and traced the outlines of a rearing horse, "what do they mean? Why are they on the hide as well?"

"Why, they are the symbols of your connections", Ollivander answered, "the person in this world that you will feel bound to, who is a reason why you were brought back here to help in this time of need."

He paused.

"When activating the spell, all wands must be placed in their designated places; inside the star point pointing at your connection's symbol. Get it wrong and you might cause something worse to happen."

"So, in fact, Rachel was not in danger of causing anything to happen", Toby pointed out. "In fact we could all place our wands there and nothing would happen since there's one person missing. We cannot use the hide at all."

Ollivander looked up with a frown.

"One person missing?" he asked.

"Wolfgang", Filipi said, pursing her mouth in annoyance. "The traitor."

"No, no, none of you is a traitor", the old man said.

"Well, seems like you were wrong about that", Maryse said and crossed her arms over her chest. "He sided with a damn pirate, knocked Fili unconscious and fled out onto the sea onboard the _Jolly Roger_."

"Ah", Ollivander said, realization dawning in his eyes, "the Runner."

"The what?" Tessa asked with a frown. The old man waved his hand at her.

"Nothing that should be discussed now. In fact we should all be getting to sleep; night has long since fallen upon us and you have had a long journey here. There is a large bedroom on the seventh floor; Godric managed to finish it before he was forced to leave with his family."

"Godric?" Indira asked, voicing everyone's surprise. "As in Godric Gryffindor?"

Ollivander paused.

"That is a good name", he admitted, "though I must admit I never knew if it was his full one. He was a good lad, though; a bit stubborn and with a tendency of making some reckless decisions, but once he set his mind on something he made sure to finish whatever quest he was on. Now, that's enough stories for tonight; off you go!"

* * *

After such an eventful evening no one was able to get much sleep in the room on the seventh floor, which was decorated in red and gold; the traditional Gryffindor colours. This resulted in all of them stumbling down the stairs the next morning, rubbing their eyes and yawning. Jade had to be partially dragged down by Maryse.

However, when they neared the doors to the Great Hall their tiredness seemed to vanish.

"Who the bloody hell do you think you are?" a voice yelled. "You have no right to force me to come here, no..."

Before anyone could stop her, Filipi slammed the doors to the room open and marched inside. The Hall had changed since last night; fifteen chairs had now been placed out in a half-circle in front of the dais, where Ollivander was sitting in his chair with a long table in front of him. On this new table were fifteen wooden boxes, tilted slightly so that they could see the white velvet covering the inside of them. Each box also held a symbol, the same symbols that had been drawn on the cowhide, which was still on the circular table closer to the wall but now rolled up and bound with a sturdy rope.

In front of Ollivander stood a young man, his dark hair wild and the top buttons of his shirt open, revealing a chest tanned by a life in the sun. Two daggers were attached to his belt, scabbards adorned with onyxes. He spun around at the sound of the door bursting open and visibly paled.

"You!" Filipi growled and marched forward, producing her wand. "You... you traitor!"

She raised her arm, but Ollivander flicked his own weapon and caused her wand to soar up into the air, before landing in one of the boxes.

"No duelling in this hall", he sharply remarked.

"What is he even doing here?" Maryse spat out.

"Yeah, shouldn't he be off doing pirate-things?" Jade agreed.

"Sit down", Ollivander ordered, his silvery eyes glimmering dangerously. "Time is of the essence and there is still much you need to know."

"Not with him around", Chris muttered.

"Well, Toby did point out that in order for the hide to work we need all fifteen", Indira said. "As much as I hate to admit it, we need him."

"Indira's right", Toby sighed.

"We need his wand, not him", Clarissa growled.

"I don't think it's that simple", Miranda pointed out. The others glared at her and then at Wolfgang, who had sat down on a chair by the end of the line. Tessa was the first to march up to him.

"Do not think for a moment that you're forgiven", she hissed, before sitting down on the chair next to him.

One by one the others also sat down and Ollivander rose.

"Now, I'm going to need your wands."

Before they could respond he flicked his own, causing all of theirs to soar up and land in the boxes on the table.

"Each box contains a wand", the old man said, "each one unique, just like you all are, and providing a link between you and someone else in this land. In order to understand who they are, you must all also understand who you are."

He leaned against the table, allowing his gaze to wander from box to box.

"Each wand contains a core of a magical beast; feather from a phoenix, hair from a unicorn, or heartstring from a dragon. The cores all symbolize certain traits, traits that are either fought or confirmed by the wood the wand is made of."

He paused before continuing.

"I used twelve types of wood for your wands, each with its own magical properties. Some could be picked right outside my door, others I had to travel far to find. Seeing you all here today, though, makes me believe that it was all worth it."

He sat down with a deep sigh and closed his eyes momentarily. In that moment it became very apparent just how old this man was; ancient, he seemed, and his exile was slowly draining him of life.

"I will tell you all your stories", he eventually said, "your pasts and the meaning of your wands. I will tell you the prophetic names of yourselves and your connections, decided by me upon your arrival here or already decided by fate, and this should also lead you to understand who your connections are. But if I do this you must all promise me one thing."

He leaned forward, his silver eyes gleaming as he spoke.

"Magic like this is dangerous. Activating the enchantment in the hide will come at a high price, one that you must all be prepared to pay when that day comes. Only if you promise me that, I am able to tell you what you need to know."

* * *

**Alright, that's it for today. Should warn you that next chapter is very long and is basically a monologue by Ollivander explaining some background things, but don't skip it!**


	52. 51: Black Lines to the Past

**As I said this chapter is really long but quite important if you want to understand some relationships and such!**

* * *

The silence in the chamber was deafening as the old man's words sunk into them. The warning was certainly a grave one and should be heeded, but only that, because they all knew that they needed to go through with this in order to know the truth. Ollivander seemed to understand their silent response and leaned back in his chair.

"There are five of each group", he begun, "five carrying Dragon Wands, five carrying Unicorn Wands, and five carrying Phoenix Wands. There is balance and unity in that, something that you will need to keep in mind."

It occurred to them all as he spoke that the boxes seemed to be divided into three sections, depending on the wood used to make them.

"The Dragon Wands", Ollivander continued and got out of his chair, "are the most powerful of the three kinds. They prefer masters who are temperamental or quick to learn, or both, but like with all wands these traits can be numbed by the wood use to create the wand."

He gestured to the five boxes on the left side of the table, from their perspective; they were dark and polished, marked with an arrow, a tree, a rose, a cloud and a wheel, respectively. Ollivander reached down and picked out the wand resting in the box marked with a rose.

"Here is one that enhances the core's preferred traits", he said. "This child came from a town troubled by the ogre wars and upon finding out that the child had magic, the duke of the town wished to kill it. His daughter, however, sought out the family and saved their lives by warning them."

He traced the fine lines of the wand's handle before continuing.

"Dogwood and Dragon finds is master in someone who is clever and mischievous, temperamental and ingenious. This child needs a strong wand like this, for I nicknamed her the Brave, and her connection..."

He stepped down from the dais and walked up to Maryse, handing her the wand with the hilt first.

"Is the Beauty."

"So we're going to have to guess..." Wolfgang begun, but Tessa effectively silenced him by stomping on his foot.

"Most of you already know who it is I'm referring to", Ollivander said as he walked back up the steps, "because you have already met them. Only some will need further information."

Reaching the boxes again he pulled up the wand resting in the box marked with a cloud.

"This child came from a village destroyed by squabbling lords, fighting for the prosperous land its farmers lived on", he explained. "The father had passed away in the fighting and the mother died from her wounds not long after she had come here. She told me that whatever I did with the child, he had to be protected from the shadows and the darkness. Thus, for this child, I created a wand of holly, the most protective of the woods. It does not counteract the core's preferences; instead they work together, as allies and friends. I therefore called this child the Friend and his connection..."

He handed the wand to Chris.

"Is the Orphan."

Chris paled visibly at those words, before he bit his lip and looked down on the floor. Ollivander did not seem to notice; he was already moving back to the boxes. The third wand raised he plucked out of a box marked with a tree.

"Ah, this child I remember well", he said. "The mother died when giving birth and it was the father who made the journey here, together with the child's older brother, already a man grown. I learned that the family were hunters by trade, used to the forest and, unlike other hunters, they did not kill more than necessary. In the animals they saw loyalty, and thus this child was nicknamed just that; Loyal. A trait preferred by a wand created out of cedar, a wood that also enhanced the core's power and temperament while seeking someone who is not so easily fooled."

He stepped down the dais again.

"The Loyal", he said and handed the wand to Rowan, "is connected to the Hunter, his own brother."

"I have a brother here?" Rowan gaped.

"Unfortunately I believe he did not survive the Dark Curse", Ollivander said, "since your connection is not as strong as it should be if he was still alive."

Rowan's grip around the wand tightened.

"What was his name?"

"Graham."

Ollivander then returned to the boxes. The fourth wand came out of one marked with a wheel, like that of a cart.

"This child was born not far from here, in the far North. The parents brought it here before fleeing south, away from the cold winter. I never knew if they made it across the then existing border to the Evil Queen's kingdom or if they were killed on the way, but from the beginning this child had to fight to live. I therefore nicknamed her the Warrior and crafted a wand of Dragon and Hawthorn to match the conflicting nature of her future; fierce and caring, a fighter and a healer."

He looked up at them once more and nodded at Filipi.

"I'm afraid my legs are threatening to give up, my dear", he said. "Would you mind collecting your weapon up here instead?"

The blonde immediately rose and walked up the stairs, helping the old man sit down on his chair once again.

"Thank you", he said, before handing her the wand, "and your connection, Warrior, is the Princess."

"That doesn't help much", Filipi admitted. "We've met many princesses so far."

Ollivander smiled.

"You know of whom I speak, because you felt it in your heart when you met her."

Filipi's eyes widened in surprise, before she walked back down the stairs and sat down. Using his own wand, Ollivander then summoned the final box carrying a dragon heartstring core; the box marked with an arrow.

"Ah, yes, this wand. I remember making it as clearly as if I did it yesterday. A wand of honour, created out of the laurel tree, and meant for someone wild and free. Like the intended owner; born far away from any town, deep in the woods of the south. The parents were outlaws and they knew that their child would be in danger, for no crime against an outlaw can be punished, including murder. A brave man, not a member of the family itself but a close friend, took it upon himself to sneak past all the kingdoms' borders and find me, to ask me to save the child. On the way here he had nicknamed it the Young and I decided to keep that nickname in the written prophecy."

He waved his hand at Jade, who rose and hurried up to him.

"This wand, young one", Ollivander said as he handed her the weapon, "connects you to the man who brought your here. The outlaw called the Thief."

While Jade hurried back to her chair with a grin on her face, the old man busied himself by summoning the five boxes on the right side of the table. They were made of a pale type of wood and marked with an apple, a snowflake, a flower, a pair of wings and a black sun.

"Unicorn Wands", Ollivander begun, "might be called the least powerful of the wand types by some, but only if matched with the wrong wood. None of these are in such condition. Wands with this core are loyal and seek such a quality in their master, along with a good heart and will."

He picked up the first wand out of the new boxes, its holder marked with a snowflake.

"This child came here on a cold winter's night, the parents having fled from the Evil Queen with their newborn babe. I offered them all shelter, but the parents soon departed as they feared the Evil Queen might be able to find me and the child by tracking them. Despite their youth they showed great wisdom and an ability to put others before themselves, a trait I knew would pass on to the child they left with me. This wand was created based on those traits; wisdom that went beyond age, that would surprise those around the owner of the wand, and thus the child in question was nicknamed the Wise."

He indicated at Catriona when he spoke.

"I only saw it fitting, my dear", he said as she approached, "to pair you with one who showed the same ability to think of others before themselves as your parents and you yourself do; the one called the Pure."

Catriona frowned at this expression, but accepted the wand and walked back to her seat, while Ollivander picked up the next. This one came from the box marked with the black sun.

"Oak", he said, "is a fine tree, which enhances the demanded traits of the unicorn hair. The child that this wand was created for came here all the way from Agrabah, taken here by a genie. As Agrabah was a dangerous place for anyone with magic the parents had asked the genie to bring the child here as their final wish while they themselves claimed that the child had been born dead. The journey of this child, I knew, was only one of those that would be required of it, and thus it would require strength and intuition, as well as loyalty and courage."

He paused, weighing the wand in his hand before turning to look at Indira.

"That child was you and your nickname was the Light, as it is your destiny to find and defeat the Dark..."

He handed her the wand as he spoke.

"Wherever you may find _him_."

"Wait, you don't mean that... Indira's connection is to the Dark One?" Clarissa asked with a frown.

"That, I'm afraid, is true", Ollivander said as Indira returned to her seat, "but the spell holding that man in darkness can be broken and your friend here is a part of that."

He reached to the next box, marked with a pair of wings, and pulled out the wand resting inside it.

"This is a wand that both counteracts and enhances the traits demanded by its core", he said. "Loyal, yes, but instead of the unicorn's demand for consistency and balance, the acacia wood is temperamental and wants to see the same in its owner. This child in question was found by a fairy, the only one of their kind that I can stand due to her way of thinking and acting outside the traditions of her kind. Recognizing that the child had magic the fairy brought it to me. She commented that the child had smiled and laughed during the whole journey from the Enchanted Forest, which provided me with a suitable nickname for her; the Funny."

His gaze landed on Tessa and her mouth fell open as she slowly rose.

"I'm the funny one?" she asked.

"Indeed you are, my dear", Ollivander mused, "because you brought a smile to a fairy's face when she had none. And that is why you are connected to her; the Fairy."

He smiled again, before taking out the next wand, its box marked with a flower.

"Ah, the second dogwood wand", he said. "However, this time, I combined it with a unicorn's hair instead of a dragon's heartstring. What the wand requires of its master has thus changed somewhat."

He paused as he studied the object in his hands and for a moment he seemed lost in thought.

"This child was one of the few that I had to go find myself instead of waiting for the parents to show up, for they were held captured for some simple crime in a kingdom to the east. The mother had a minor magic gift and through this managed to send me a message about their newborn's powers. As she had also sensed that the Dark Curse would soon be cast she asked me to send the child to safety and that it would end up in a good family wherever that was. I took these words to my heart and nicknamed the child the Gentle, as this was a trait I sensed would be valuable to her later on in life, and fashioned this wand to suit her; clever and loyal, quirky and good."

He turned the wand so that the hilt pointed towards them, in particular towards Miranda, who now rose.

"Your connection", he said as she grabbed the handle, "is from the kingdom you originate from and is in the prophecy known as the Lost."

Miranda slowly made her way back to her seat, studying her wand with renewed interest, while Ollivander brought out the final Unicorn Wand, resting in the box marked with an apple.

"The connection in this pair always surprised me", he admitted, "as it did not seem possible at the time. Now I know better. The core and the silver lime wood here are in perfect balance; intertwined and inseparable. Just like this child and the sister that brought her here were."

He paused.

"The sister was barefooted, her clothes torn and her face streaked with tears. She had wandered a long way to find me as her village had been destroyed by ogres. As I helped her get back to full health she told me how others back home had said that it was the Queen who had sent them, but she herself did not think so. The Queen had done many things but this was not one of her deeds. Instead the girl believed that the ogres had sensed the baby's magic and come to destroy it, as some ogres are capable of that, and she now hoped that her mother would forgive her for taking it away. A trait that this wand requires out of its master."

He waved at Arianne, who took a deep breath before she rose.

"The Kind", he said as she walked up the stairs, "that is what you are called in the prophecy. Your connection is the Evil."

"Considering your ability to get under the Evil Queen's dark shell, Arianne, I think we were expecting that one", Maryse mused as her friend returned and sat down beside her. Ollivander now focused his attention on the five boxes at the centre of the table, the ones with a phoenix feather core. These boxes were of a more reddish hue than the others, marked with an eye, a wolf, a swan, a horse and a circle with sea waves respectively.

"Phoenix Wands", the old man now said, "seek masters who are independent. That is the one trait that they do not so easily budge on. Other traits usually connecting masters of these wands, such as pickiness and detachment, can be persuaded by the wood used."

He picked out the first wand out of the box marked with a horse.

"Now this one you already partly know", he said and shot a small smile in Rachel's direction. "The sister of Prince David. You were born not long after he had left to take his brother's place and your mother, a very wise woman, knew you had to be protected, as she had already lost both her sons to the Dark One. Despite knowing she might never see you again she asked me to send you to safety, so that you could one day return to her with stories of your own. In your future I saw those stories, all the ones you would write down to clear your head, and I nicknamed you the Writer. Your wand, made of alder, seeks a connection of opposites, and thus bound you with your brother; the Prince."

Rachel did not seem surprised by this revelation; in fact none of them were. Ollivander therefore quickly moved on to the next box, marked with the sea waves.

"The phoenix feather at the core of this one is often dominant", he remarked. "Also this child came from the desert. Not as far as Agrabah; the parents were nomads and ruled under no one but the will of the sandstorms. They could have kept the child safe, I am sure, but the father decided that he could not risk its life if they ended up trapped by the Dark Curse. The mother was not happy with this decision and called the father a coward, but he insisted the child be sent away for safety. The child, I saw, would be detached and find it hard to follow rules and regulations, hence why he was nicknamed the Runner..."

"Wolfgang!" Filipi growled, causing the man in question to turn towards her in surprise.

"I'm the Runner?" he asked. "I did what I believed was right!"

"Which is why you require this wand", Ollivander said and held it out towards him. "Vine, symbolizing a hidden depth of your personality that you must let out. Do not run from your fate anymore, not when it means breaking the hearts of your friends. However, by acting on this natural instinct of yours I believe you met your connection; the Pirate."

He waved Wolfgang away before he could say anything else and picked out the next one, its box marked with a wolf.

"Ah, yes", he said, "the child of the mountain. The mother came with the newborn to me, begging me to save it from the rest of the family, as all of them had been attacked by a lycanthrope except for the child. By the next full moon it might not be as lucky. The mother asked that I remove all memories she had of coming here, so she could not lead the pack back here during the next change. I heeded her prayer and changed her memories so that she believed the child had died in the attack."

He paused.

"There was another interesting part of her plea as well, which I took to my heart. The mother asked that her child learn how to read, as this was something she herself had longed to know. I therefore nicknamed the child the Reader and made sure to set her on a path that would lead to exactly this, while also crafting her a wand of pear wood; a generous being, warm-hearted, wise, and independent..."

He held the wand out towards Ella.

"And connected to the Wolf."

When Ella had accepted her wand back, two remained in front of Ollivander. He begun with the one resting in the box marked with a swan.

"This child's family", he said, "lived close to the castle belonging to Snow White and her Prince. They therefore found out about the possibility of the Dark Curse being cast very soon after the Queen had revealed her plans at the royal couple's wedding. Knowing that they would certainly become victims of this curse the parents rushed with their child to me, asking that wherever their babe ended up she would learn to believe in magic, so that she might one day come back to them. She was therefore nicknamed the Believer."

He turned towards Clarissa with a small smile.

"An Acacia Wand", he said as she rose, "for loyalty, temperament, independency and pickiness, and belief. These traits that you possess, that your wand seeks, can only be found in one other person; the Saviour."

When Clarissa seated herself again, Ollivander's silvery eyes turned towards Toby, the only one in the room left to hear his story. Slowly the old man rose and waved towards him.

"I saved you for last, because your story is quite different", he said as Toby came closer. "Your family was not poor by definition when they sent you to me, but well-adapted in magic themselves; the magic of Camelot. A Knight of the Round Table brought you to me, saying that Merlin himself had seen that you would be one of the children of magic in the prophecy. I could not agree more. For you I forged a wand of black walnut, for your traits as of this day would be good instincts, powerful insight and self-awareness. The traits of a leader."

Toby frowned.

"I'm not sure..."

"You brought them all together, did you not?" Ollivander asked. "You caused all of these people to meet, to become friends. You are the unsung leader of this group, young man, even if they talk you down from time to time. And as the Leader..."

He paused and handed the wand to its rightful owner.

"As the Leader", he repeated, "your connection is not constant. It will shift depending on which side of a fight you stand on and always connect you to the leader of the opposite."

"But", Miranda said with a frown, "that means... that Toby's connected to..."

"Zelena", Ollivander agreed, his face darkening. "The Wicked Witch of the West."

* * *

**Hope I didn't kill you with this...**


	53. 52: Brown Cinnamon Sprinkles

**OK, back to Storybrooke now!**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Mary Margaret stared down at the apple in her hand. Red, like the one she had eaten all those years ago to put an end to the fighting between her and Regina. She had never liked apples after that, in fact she rarely even held one in her hands, but now she did, while sitting by the kitchen island in Regina's kitchen as her former stepmom cleaned up the dishes.

"I want to apologize, Regina", she said and looked up at the woman in question, "for Cora, for..."

"Murdering her?" Regina filled in, her voice solemn. She did not turn around as she spoke and Mary Margaret was left looking at the back of her pale golden blouse.

"Right, yeah", she said and turned her gaze towards the apple again. "Don't take it lightly; I think about it every day."

"So do I."

The bitterness in Regina's voice caused Mary Margaret to look up again, just as the Mayor turned around. She leaned against the counter as she continued.

"And when I do think about it", she said, "I remember... that she did kill your mother. So I'll admit that it's complicated."

Mary Margaret forced a smile.

"Thank you. I'm sure you had some things you wanted to say to her."

Regina shifted her gaze towards the bowl of apples on the island as she scoffed.

"Yes, well", she said and crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm realizing that my mother walled off a lot of her life from me."

Her gaze met Mary Margaret's again and the younger woman could see the tears forcibly held back in Regina's eyes.

"She wasn't the warmest mother, but", Regina said and swallowed, "but at least I thought I occupied a singular spot in her heart."

She sighed and shook her head.

"A sister. Zelena."

She walked forward and leaned on her elbows on the kitchen island, fidgeting with her fingers. Mary Margaret considered placing her hand on her arm as comfort, but despite their newly discovered understanding and friendship she doubted that would be accepted as of yet.

"Why would she give her up?" Regina eventually asked, leaning her had in her hands. "Why would she make us strangers to one another?"

Mary Margaret considered the questions, trying to come up with a suitable answer. Before she could a squeaking sound from the second floor caused her to turn her gaze upwards.

"What's that?" she asked. Regina straightened up once more, a light frown visible on her forehead.

"I have no idea."

The sound continued on and Mary Margaret could not help but think it sounded a bit like a squeaky wheel rolling over uneven ground.

"It's upstairs", she said, mainly to have something to say. Regina would already have figured that out herself and she now pursed her lips momentarily before hesitantly walking out of the kitchen. Mary Margaret followed her as they headed up the stairs to the second floor. She flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. A fuse must have blown, she told herself, even though her heart was by now beating wildly in her chest. Regina led the way through the dark corridor of the mansion's second floor, seeming equally unsure of what they should do. The squeaking got louder and louder.

"It's in there", the Mayor suddenly whispered, pointing at a door at the end of the corridor. It was closed, but a strange light seemed to come through the small crack between it and the floor. As they neared it Regina glanced back and as her gaze fell on Mary Margaret's belly, the other woman saw the silent plea that she would stay somewhat behind, for the sake of her unborn child. She smiled reassuringly and pulled to a slow halt while Regina neared the door. Seeing her face from the side Mary Margaret was able to make out the slight frown on her forehead.

"There isn't anything in this room", Regina mumbled, before reaching out towards the doorknob. "It's..."

The moment her fingers closed around the knob the door flew inwards, ripped off its hinges by an unknown force. Regina gasped and stepped back, her arms pushing Mary Margaret back even further in a protective manner. The room that now lay visible to them did not look like it belonged in the white mansion; the walls were crooked and the windows dirty. A cold wind blew out towards the two women in the corridor and seemed to bring unnatural, agonized screams with it. In the centre of the room, illuminated by the unnatural light shining in through the windows, stood a spinning wheel. That was what had caused the squeaking sound. The spinner had his or her back towards them, ghostly blue and the body shifting as if it was made out of smoke. Regina took a shocked step forward again, her left arm still holding Mary Margaret back. Mary Margaret did not object; whatever this was it was not something she would be able to deal with. It was magic and that was Regina's forte.

As Regina took yet another step forward the spinner slowly turned its head, revealing a beautiful, young, pale woman with full, dark lips and equally dark eyes. Mary Margaret thought she looked familiar, something that was confirmed by a shocked gasp coming from Regina.

"Mother?" the Mayor whispered. Mary Margaret's eyes flew back towards the ghostly creature again and this time she could see the resemblance between the middle aged woman she had always known as Regina's mother, Cora, the Queen of Hearts, and this younger version of her. Again her heart started beating wildly, especially when Cora's spirit pursed her lips and squinted her eyes at them in a way that was all too familiar; she was not happy, at all.

* * *

Clarissa grinned as Emma closed her eyes in concentration, focusing her magical power on the cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon that Granny had placed for her on the counter. The blonde was taking every possible opportunity to practice using magic and she had now transported the drinks of everyone else present to their table. This was the final one; Emma's own special drink.

With a small pop the cup vanished from the counter and appeared on the table by the others, causing Emma to open her eyes, grin widely and smack her hand on the counter in triumph.

"Boom!" she yelled triumphantly, before turning and walking over to them. "Granny's to go. I should open a franchise."

"It's impressive", Hook agreed, although he sounded less than impressed. Emma kept smiling as she slid into the booth next to Clarissa.

"You want to see something really impressive?" she teased. Clarissa choked on her drink as she found herself imagining a series of things that Emma probably did not mean by that statement. Emma grinned in her direction, before flicking her hand. A clinking behind them caused everyone, except for Emma, to turn. Hook's eyes widened and he quickly looked down at his left arm, confirming that what was now hanging from the coat hanger by the door leading to the bathrooms was, indeed, his own hook. Wolfgang howled with laughter and when Emma giggled at Hook's expression the three other girls at the table – besides Clarissa also Catriona and Arianne sat there – started laughing as well.

"That's bad form, Swan", Hook growled and rose, "tampering with a man's hook."

Emma chuckled and leaned over the back of the couch to follow him as he walked to fetch his hand replacement.

"Okay, seriously", she said, "what is up with you?"

Hook fastened his hook once more, before sighing and walking back to them.

"I apologize for my rudeness", he grumbled and sat down. "It's a long story; too long for now."

He took a swing of the bottle of rum he always carried with him, causing Emma to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Okay", she said and leaned onto the table, "but obviously something's..."

The door to the diner flew open with a bang, causing everyone in the group to quickly look up. Belle came running in through the door, quickly followed by David and Rachel, who had remained outside to talk something through after they arrived. The brunette looked pale and she clutched an old book in her arms.

"Emma!" she gasped and ran up to their booth. "Emma, I found it."

She placed the book on the table in front of them, flipping it open and pointing at something on one of the pages. Clarissa reached over to read it but did not understand what language it was written in, something that Belle obviously did not realize.

"We have to tell Regina and the others", she rambled on.

"Okay, Belle; slow down", Emma ordered, obviously also unable to read what the text said. "What did you find?"

Belle took a deep breath before managing to answer.

"Zelena's plan. I figured out what she's doing."

* * *

**Well, that escalated quickly...**


	54. 53: Mother's Blue Ghost

Regina stared at the ghostly figure of her mother, looking just like she remembered her to have looked when she was still a little girl. Cora slowly rose, or floated, up off the chair by the spinning wheel, rising into the air as she turned to face them head on.

"This... can't be", Regina protested. "The spell opened a limited portal for... talking!"

"It's me", Mary Margaret said behind her, her voice sounding weak. "I killed Cora... she sensed my presence and found a way to bleed into our world."

Cora suddenly soared forward, hand outstretched and face focused. Regina acted on instinct and stepped up to block the door. Her mother's spirit rose to stand in front of her, hovering so that she was at least a head higher than her daughter, doing everything to intimidate her. Regina felt intimidated, sure enough, but her will to protect the woman behind her and the unborn child in said woman's belly was stronger.

"Back down, mother", she ordered. "You _will_ answer my questions. Now tell me; what did you do to Zelena?"

Cora's eyes narrowed slightly, before she raised her hand. It felt cold and hard when the slap it delivered came in touch with Regina's shoulder, sending her to the left with tremendous force. She landed hard on her back in the adjoining corridor and nearly blacked out, but forced herself to rise and walk back to the corner. Cora was already moving towards Mary Margaret, who was backing towards the stairs, her lower lip trembling in fear.

Acting on instinct Regina summoned her magic and surrounded both of them in purple smoke, transporting them back to the library downstairs. Their relief was, however, brief as Cora's spirit came soaring down through the floor, arms once again outstretched. The force she surrounded herself with knocked over a lamp, causing it to shatter as it landed on the floor. Mary Margaret raised her hands to shield herself while Regina did the opposite; she flung her hands out in front of her and created magical bonds to hold her mother's spirit in place. Cora was flung back towards the opposite wall.

"You're holding her off!" Mary Margaret said in surprise.

"But I can't hold her forever", Regina replied, not daring to look away from the spirit. If she did her focus might drop one small step down the ladder and that was all that would be needed for her mother to get the upper hand.

* * *

"The door's gone!" Arianne exclaimed.

"How can a door be gone?" Emma asked. "We walked out through it less than thirty minutes ago!"

David threw himself against the concrete wall that had appeared where the door to Regina's mansion should be.

"It has to be here", he growled. "It has to be!"

"It's shielded by magic", Catriona said.

"Which means there must be a spell to reverse it all", Rachel filled in and picked out her phone. "I'll call Toby; he's got the most knowledge of spells. There's got to be one that can make that door appear again."

* * *

Cora struggled against the bonds Regina had summoned and with every move her mother's spirit made Regina felt herself weaken. Beads of sweat had already started to trail down from her forehead.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold her off", she warned the other woman in the room. She bit down hard on her lip when Cora made another attempt to break free.

"Cora, I'm sorry", Mary Margaret suddenly begged. "Please, forgive me!"

The spirit made yet another attempt to break free and this time Regina felt that she had almost succeeded. Mary Margaret must have noticed it too, because she hid with a startled yelp behind her former nemesis.

"Save your breath", Regina ordered, her breathing getting heavier with each second, "your mother was nothing like my mother; she only understands power and weakness."

She gritted her teeth and put every ounce of strength into her spell.

"But if she wants to kill you", she called, making sure that Cora could hear every word she said, "she's going to have to go through _me_!"

In the corner of her eye she could see Mary Margaret turn towards her with a surprised expression. Well, Regina thought, maybe they were not enemies anymore. There was a time when she had cared for the woman next to her, however short those moments had been, and after what had happened in Neverland and right before they returned to the Enchanted Forest, surely Mary Margaret would understand that she did not intend to let anyone kill her, or her unborn child?

"This isn't about you", she said, struggling to keep the spell up. "This is about her... and me."

Cora then managed to break the spell, causing a minor explosion of magic in the room. Regina breathed hard and gritted her teeth, before moving so that she stood in front of Mary Margaret.

"It's time for answers, mother", she ordered, raising her voice. "What did you do to Zelena?"

The next moment Cora struck out towards her again, hitting her cheek and sending her towards a nearby desk. Regina saw stars and rolled down onto the floor, ears ringing. She blinked and tried to focus. Mary Margaret screamed, but it did not sound like they were even in the same room anymore. She shook her head and slowly managed to regain focus. Her eyes immediately shot in the direction of Mary Margaret, finding her in a cushioned chair on the other side of the room, head tilted back, eyes wide and body trembling.

"Mary Margaret!" Regina found herself screaming as she rose and rushed up to her. The pregnant woman seemed to be encased in the same ghostly blue glow that had surrounded Cora. Regina straightened up and summoned her magic again.

"Hold on", she begged, "I won't let you go."

Her hands started to glow as she flung them forward, fingers flexing as if she tried to grip onto something. She felt them close around something cold and hard and staggered back, seeing Cora's spirit float out of Mary Margaret as she pulled. Mary Margaret's body immediately slumped back and her eyes closed, but Regina did not have time to focus on that. They were in the library, she reflected, where the portal had previously opened. There should be a residue of it still present up by the ceiling. Gritting her teeth she pushed her mother's spirit upwards and saw, to her relief, the swirling vortex forming above her. Cora's hands tried to grip onto something, but Regina was adamant in her mission; she would not let her mother get control of the situation again.

Managing one final push upwards she saw how the vortex captured Cora and swallowed her before disappearing. Just then the door to the library burst open and the ones who had previously left the mansion stormed in.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked. Breathing hard Regina managed to tear her gaze from the ceiling.

"Cora", she responded, before turning back towards Mary Margaret. David was already kneeling next to her.

"Is she okay?" she asked. Her voice sounded like it was close to breaking but for once she did not care.

"Mary Margaret", David begged, "can you hear me?"

"Cora", the pregnant woman mumbled. "Not what we thought... trying to communicate."

"She was?" Regina gasped.

"What'd she say?" Clarissa asked from behind her.

"Leopold", Mary Margaret mumbled, "my mother... my mother..."

David gently hushed her and touched her brow, trying to ensure her that whatever it was she had experienced it was alright, she was safe.

"She's not making any sense", Emma said. "We need to call a doctor."

"Already done", Rachel said, stepping in through the door. She was followed by Wolfgang, who in turn was holding up a very weak Catriona. Regina's eyes widened.

"What happened?"

"She shares some sort of connection with Mary Margaret", Arianne responded. "She collapsed while we were getting inside; guessing about the same time as Mary Margaret was affected by your mother."

"Doctor Whale is on his way", Rachel continued. "He'll be able to help them both."

"But... if she knows something that could help us..." Regina begun, looking back at Mary Margaret.

"It's going to have to wait", David ordered, his voice as sharp as his gaze.

"It can't wait!" Regina exclaimed. "If we want to stop Zelena we have to know what the hell she's doing and why!"

"I can help with half of that."

Regina turned around again. She had not noticed that Belle had been among those who had entered the room; the small brunette must have stayed in the background during the whole thing.

"What?" Regina said, straightening up.

"She's planning on going back", Belle responded, "back in time."

Cold dread filled Regina as she took in the words.

"Are you certain? No one's ever been able to cast a spell to go back in time."

"Well, clearly she thinks she can succeed", Wolfgang muttered as he rose from his position next to Catriona, who by now was resting in another chair.

"Brains, courage, a resilient heart", Belle continued, "those ingredients are in every time-travel spell I've found."

"Brains?" Regina said and looked around.

"Gold's", Arianne responded. "Indira overheard a discussion between Zelena and Gold where the Witch said she needed his brain. We thought she meant knowledge of magic, until it turned out she actually needed your physical heart for her spell. Maryse alerted Belle of it this afternoon while she was researching."

"Why go back in time?" David asked. "I mean, we have no idea what she's trying to accomplish."

"I do", Mary Margaret said and forced her head up. "She... she didn't..."

"Don't push yourself", David advised, but Mary Margaret just shook her head stubbornly. On the chair on the other side of the room Catriona grunted and slowly got back to her senses.

"She didn't want to give up Zelena", she said and opened her eyes. "She was forced to... by... by my mother, Princess Eva... she told a secret, just like I did."

"Wait", Emma said, frowning, "I thought our family were the good guys."

"Life is too messy for it to ever be that simple", Regina sighed.

"You're saying if it wasn't for your mother", Rachel said with a frown, "Regina's mother would have kept Zelena?"

"She would have been the one tutored by Rumplestiltskin", Belle agreed.

"All if it weren't for this... Princess Eva?" Wolfgang asked. Mary Margaret leaned her head back against the chair again.

"Zelena's going back to kill my mother."

A deafening silence settled over the room for a few seconds.

"You'll... you'll have never been born", Regina eventually managed to say.

"I'm guessing this is where your help ends", Emma ironically stated. If she was not in such an emotional turmoil Regina would have shot her a glare.

"No, think it through, Miss Swan; that means you'll have never been born, and neither will Henry."

"And on this different path, Regina", Arianne said, "you may not be, either."

"Well, then it's a good thing no one's ever succeeded with this... time-travel nonsense", Hook pointed out.

"The baby", David suddenly said and rose.

"What?" Clarissa asked, voicing everyone's surprise.

"That's what's missing", David responded, "that's why none have succeeded; somehow, some way, our baby's the key."

Mary Margaret's hands went up to touch her swollen belly as her husband spoke.

"Zelena went through a lot of effort to get close to our unborn child", he continued. "That's what she's after."

"What is she going to do with it?" Mary Margaret whispered. David shook his head and knelt next to her again, placing his hands on top of hers.

"It doesn't matter", he promised, "she's not going to get it. We're going to stop her. Since our baby's not born, she's stuck, and we have what we need; time."

Mary Margaret looked at him for a while before turning to look down at her belly.

"Just not very much of it", Catriona said, sitting up straighter and looking at them. Everyone looked at her for a moment before their attention focused once again on Mary Margaret's belly and the child that rested in there. They did not know how far she was in her pregnancy, but judging by the size of her everyone guessed the same thing; she could give birth any day now.

* * *

**I think we're in trouble. Or they are. Damn.**


	55. 54: Black Night Attack

**And with that in mind, let's head back to the Enchanted Forest, alright?**

* * *

_Three Weeks Prior_

_The North, Enchanted Forest_

They stayed at the Hog's Castle for two more days, filling up provisions for the journey home and also having Ollivander tell them more of the prophecy and what it was they were destined to do. Not that it gave them much more to go on, but at least the old man did explain further how the connections worked. Apparently if the one they were connected to was attacked by magic they would be able to feel it as well, maybe even experience the effects. The only one that this did not apply to was Toby, since his connection was the Wicked Witch; if he were to be affected by her being attacked by magic things would not turn out so well. Instead his connection to her was that he would be able to recognize her wherever she was, whomever she disguised herself as. As long as he was there to see her she would not be able to disguise herself and hide.

The cowhide was also further explained. The enchantment in it was activated once they had all placed their wands on it in the right places. At this point they themselves would be unable to move and their connections would be alerted, mentally, that the enchantment had been activated. Ollivander was not sure how the others would feel when it was activated, but they would somehow know of it. This, however, also meant that Zelena would know and she might be able to figure out that she had to stop it, a simple task since an enchantment of this size took some time to build up. If she got to where they were working on the enchantment and stole one of their wands the enchantment would break and they would have to try again.

"So in order to activate this we need to make sure that the Witch is distracted", Indira said and patted the cowhide, now rolled up and tied to the back of her horse's saddle.

"Which is why we need to make haste back home", Rachel agreed and lifted her own saddle up onto her horse's back. "We need to devise a plan that will allow the others to distract Zelena while the enchantment builds up its strength."

Indira nodded and looked across the courtyard. Wolfgang was standing with a scrawny old horse that Ollivander had provided for him, avoiding everyone's gaze while he saddled and loaded it with supplies.

"I can't believe we have to work with him", Indira muttered. "He is a traitor."

"We need to listen to his story", Chris pointed out, walking up to them with his horse in tow. "He did say that he believed he did what he had to do, and Filipi said she did what she had to do. It wasn't alright of him to knock her unconscious, no, but he has to get a chance to explain himself."

"I still don't trust him", Indira pointed out and swung up into her saddle.

"Well, he has to earn that trust again", Rachel responded, getting up on her horse as well. "It was wrong of him to leave Filipi behind like that, but I'm with Chris; he deserves to explain himself and we have done nothing but give him the silent treatment since Ollivander told us our pasts."

"Have you got everything you need?"

Ollivander was walking down the stairs, coming to see them off. The light of the winter sun caused his hair to look even whiter.

"It would seem so", Toby responded and held out his hand. "Thank you for all your help, Mr Ollivander."

"No, no, I should be the one to thank you", the old man responded and shook the hand with a smile. "Now I know that everything will turn out alright again, that the prophecy will be fulfilled. And, on top of that, I got some really good ideas for the school. When Zelena has been defeated you are all welcome back as teachers for the children that will come to study magic here."

"We'll keep that in mind, Sir", Tessa called with a smile, before they all turned their horses and trotted out beneath the archway of the castle's courtyard. Indira glanced back and saw, to her amusement, that Wolfgang was struggling with staying on the back of the horse. The months he had spent at sea had obviously not been a good time to practice horseback riding and trotting was, in many people's eyes, the most uncomfortable of the horse's gangues.

"Stop looking so amused", Rachel sharply told her. "It's not making him feel any less miserable."

"Well, maybe I want him to stay miserable", Indira pointed out, before urging her horse forward. She did not miss the annoyed glare that Rachel threw her as she passed, however, and the next time she glanced back the other girl had fallen back to ride next to Wolfgang. Despite the fact that Rachel did not seem to be offering more than good advice on how to ride properly it still annoyed Indira that anyone in the group helped him out.

* * *

When they stopped to camp at nightfall Rachel stuck by Wolfgang, helping him unload his horse and lead him to a place where he could rest. She then took care of the beast on her own, not even looking at the man she had helped. Maybe it was not Wolfgang she was trying to help, Indira thought, but the horse that had to carry him around. It could not be fun to have someone bouncing uncoordinatedly up and down on your back all day.

However, Rachel's decision to no longer avoid the black sheep of the group soon caused others to follow. Chris was the first to head over to where Wolfgang was resting, offering him a bowl of warm soup. He then sat down next to him and started talking about every possible thing he could come up with.

Toby also seemed to consider heading over there, as he gazed thoughtfully at the two other boys for a while before rising.

"Don't", Indira warned.

"And why not?" he asked and looked back at her.

"Because he doesn't deserve it", Indira snapped. Toby studied her for a while before shaking his arm free.

"No one in this group deserves to be alone", he said. "That's what we've always done; we've been there for each other, through thick and thin, supporting and forgiving."

"Well, no one's ever done what he did before", Tessa pointed out. "He knocked Filipi unconscious with _magic_, Toby, and then just left her there; you can't just forgive him!"

"I haven't", Toby sharply remarked, "but I'm going to give him a chance to try."

He then turned and strode over to Chris and Wolfgang, sitting down next to the former of the two. Indira groaned and rose, placing her hands on her hips as she stood in front of the three guys.

"Get up", she ordered.

"Indira, what are you doing?" Rachel asked, her voice a clear warning. The Indian girl did not respond; instead she turned to glare at Wolfgang.

"I said _get up_", she growled. Wolfgang grunted and slowly got up, wincing at the pain he obviously felt after the ride.

"Indira, don't do anything foolish now", Chris urged.

"I'm doing what should have been done the moment he came back", Indira responded. "Asking him to apologize for his behaviour towards Filipi."

"Fine", Wolfgang responded and turned towards the blonde in question, "I apologize for knocking you unconscious, Fili. I did not mean to do that."

Filipi nodded, even though she did not seem to fully accept the apology. Wolfgang then turned back towards Indira.

"But I'm not going to apologize for allowing Hook to kill Blackbeard. I did what I believed, and still do believe, was the right thing to do; Blackbeard wanted the _Jolly Roger_ and in turn he would tell us where Prince Eric was. This is _Blackbeard_ we're talking about, a pirate who even managed to go to the Caribbean back on Earth and be one of the most feared pirates ever. He wouldn't have given up that information so easily."

Indira pursed her mouth in annoyance.

"Well, you left Ariel heartbroken and she hasn't been seen since, by any coastal line patrolled by our allies", Jade said.

"And if she ever shows up again I'll apologize to her, too", Wolfgang responded. "Look, I've travelled far and wide onboard the _Jolly Roger_ these past few months, together with Killian Jones, and I know that both of us have been painfully aware of the fact that we probably caused Prince Eric to die due to this decision. Killian might not have admitted it as of yet, but I have been able to see it in his eyes every time he thinks no one is looking. And it's tearing me apart, people; it's tearing me apart."

Silence fell on the group as his words sunk in. Indira eventually straightened up and nodded.

"Fair enough", she said. "You've apologized and it was good enough. There is, however, one more thing."

"And what's..."

She did not give him time to finish the sentence before her fist came in contact with his nose.

"What are you doing?" Toby exclaimed as Wolfgang staggered back with a groan.

"Teaching him a lesson", Indira responded.

"That was no lesson; that was a damn broken nose!" Toby shouted. "Why did you do that? How could you ever do something so..."

His ranting was interrupted by a loud screech above their heads, causing them all to look up. Multiple black flying monkeys were soaring down towards them from the sky, arms outstretched and teeth bared.

"Wands at the ready!" Rachel yelled. "Curses of your own choice!"

Lights of all kinds shot up at the sky as curses and jinxes were yelled out, but the monkeys were fast. Most of them avoided curse after curse, dodging them while inching closer and closer to the group.

"Protect the hide!" Toby yelled. "Protect the hide! Protect..."

His shouts turned into a scream as a monkey grabbed him by the arms and lifted him up into the sky. Before he could aim his wand at the beast it flung him against a tree trunk, effectively knocking him unconscious and taking the wand falling from his grasp in its mouth as it flew off.

"Toby!" Miranda yelled. The monkeys still left in the clearing all screeched, before following their leader up into the sky and swiftly disappearing away.

"It was him they were after?" Maryse gasped.

"Zelena must know about the prophecy", Ella said and grimaced as she moved her arm. A monkey had knocked her down and she had fallen on her shoulder.

"Toby's connected to her", Catriona agreed. "If there's one person she would want to contain it's him; as long as she does not know where or who he is she cannot hide."

"She's the Wicked Witch", Wolfgang pointed out, his nose bleeding from the previous punch. "She might not want to just keep him as a prisoner."

* * *

**No, this is not alright. Not alright! Abort! Abort!**


	56. 55: Dinner and Red Wine

**I could not resist writing this scene.**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Gold's mind was spinning as he went over the details of her plan that Zelena had just revealed to him.

Back.

She intended to go back in time and change the course of history.

No one had ever managed that before. No one. He of all people, with all of his years spent studying magic in order to get his son back, knew that such a thing was an impossibility.

But Zelena seemed sure of herself and deep inside he knew that if anyone was to succeed in doing exactly this it would be her. He had taught her, for a very brief period of time, but still; he had taught her, seen all that she could do, seen her natural born gifts. She wielded magic as easily as others breathed. A true Child of Magic, the most powerful on he had ever encountered.

She had said it herself; magic doesn't fail. _People_ fail. And Zelena was not one to accept failure.

He rose and walked around the table while the woman he was forced to obey wiped her lips with a napkin. She was beautiful, something that should not surprise him; her mother had been the same, as was her sister. During this dinner that she had made him come to – by threatening him with the dagger, of course – she had done everything to show it to him. That she was no longer the young, innocent girl he had once taught but a woman, wise and mature, and hungry for power. At seeing this a plan had started to take shape in his head and now was the time for him to enact it.

"Thank you", he said and took her empty plate with him as he moved to the sink.

"For what?" Zelena asked. He did not look at her as he responded; he needed to focus, needed to keep his mind clear.

"For showing me something I should have seen long ago."

He turned with a small smile, seeing Zelena's surprised face look up at him.

"It's never easy", he admitted as he walked back to the table, to her, "for a man to admit he's wrong. But I wronged you and hurt us both."

Zelena looked away, though not fast enough for him to notice the tears in her eyes. He reached for the bottle of red wine at the centre of the table and filled both of their glasses, focusing his attention on the red liquid.

"Those mistakes can't haunt us", Zelena slowly said, before looking up at him, "not anymore. Soon, history will be wiped clean."

She smiled her wide, triumphant smile and he managed to return it, before clinking their glasses together. He took a big gulp of the wine, feeling it burn his throat on the way down. Manners and etiquette no longer mattered, not when he had his goal in sight. He placed the glass back down and turned towards the ginger woman with another smile.

"Until then", he said and stroked her face with the back of his hand, "a gentleman always makes amends for his failures."

He watched as Zelena's sea-green eyes darkened somewhat before slowly kneeling down, resting his hands on her shoulders as he bent forward. His lips soon came in contact with her throat and he did not take his time to be gentle with her. Instead he nipped and pulled at the sensitive skin, causing a loud gasp to escape her lips. One of his hands went up to cup her face while the other slid down her back, supporting her as he pulled them both up in a standing position. He turned her and placed her down on the table, allowing him to continue his ministrations without kneeling. She moaned and threw her head back to give him better access while her hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer. He raised his head and attacked her lips, once again not taking time to be soft and gentle. Instead he was demanding, forcing her mouth open beneath his, and she did not resist. In fact, her hands came up to his head in an effort to make the kiss even deeper while she let out another moan.

He shifted them, caused her to lie down on the table with him between her legs, never leaving her lips. His left hand trailed down her leg, touching the bare skin and...

She tore her lips from his with a small whimper as she froze him in his motions, his hand hovering above the hilt of the dagger she kept tucked in the shaft of her boot. Panting heavily she managed a glare at him.

"Sorry, _love_", she hissed, "afraid not."

She made him straighten up somewhat to allow her room to move out of the enclosed space. He held back a disappointed growl and also felt a slight tremor of fear run through him. Zelena had been in love with him once and from the sounds she had just emitted while he seduced her he had no doubt she still felt that way, deep inside her black heart. Her love for him, however, had been the reason why he could not chose her over Regina; he needed his most skilled apprentice to cast the Dark Curse, enabling him to go to this world and find his son, but the Dark Curse came at a price. In order for it to work one had to sacrifice the heart of the thing one loved the most and in Zelena's case that heart would have belonged to him.

"Never on the first date, dearie?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"You just wanted the knife", Zelena growled. He could hear how she pulled it out of its hiding and knew that possible ways of redeeming himself and making his life as her slave a little more bearable had left for good.

"I hope you enjoyed the taste", she now said, appearing at the edge of his panoramic view, knife in hand, "because you just squandered your only chance to have your son!"

She flicked the knife, breaking the enchantment that kept him in place while also making sure that he now kept his distance from her. He gritted his teeth at her, anger pulsating through every core of his being.

"My son", he hissed, "gave his life so I could stop you. And I can see only one way to honour that sacrifice; by _killing_ you."

Zelena inhaled sharply, her eyes glowing with anger, hurt and madness.

"Celebration's over", she said, taking a step towards him. "Back to your cage, _doll_."

She flicked the knife again and he felt the command in his heart. Slowly he turned towards the door of the kitchen and walked out into the cold night air, not looking back at her. He stumbled slightly as he made his way across the lawn, towards the entrance of the storm cellar. Briefly he wondered if he had enough magic to conjure a glass of water, in order to get the taste of her out of his mouth. It was like poison. He had only kissed her to get the knife, only decided on this rash plan because it was the only way he could come up with that would ensure that he got close to it without her realizing what he was doing. Obviously he had been wrong about how easily she could be fooled, however.

He opened the metallic door, stepped down a few steps on the stairs and then closed the door again. It did not do much to keep the chill in the night at bay. In fact he would almost prefer the cage that he had lived in for a short while before the casting of the Dark Curse to the one he was now made to stay in and that said something about how miserable he truly was here.

As he sat down on the stool next to his spinning wheel he let out a breath he had not realized he was holding and rubbed his face with his hands. If Zelena succeeded with her plan everything would change. He did not know how far she would head back, but he doubted it was as far back as the time when he had lost his son the first time around. No, he reflected, it had something to do with Cora, her mother. She had had Zelena before he met her, before he found her imprisoned in a tower and ordered to spin straw into gold or die. If he was in full command of his magic he might be able to figure that out, but now he could only guess.

Cora had been a woman with ambitions, someone born poor, the daughter of a miller, who wanted a better life for herself. Zelena's birth must have put a halt to those plans due to not sharing blood with someone who could help Cora in her strive for power. In short; her father was not a royal.

"Oh, Belle", he whispered to himself, "I hope you fare better than I do."

Then he picked up some of the loose straw from the floor and started spinning the strands into gold.


	57. 56: Black Lion Tattoo

**Hope you enjoyed that little glimpse into Rumple's life as Zelena's. Now back to our heroes, yes?**

* * *

Regina knelt with a sigh on the floor just inside the door to the library. Cora's thrashing had caused many items to fall down and the room, which usually was neat and clean, looked like it had been the site of a recent and very local hurricane. Which, in a way, was what had happened, if you could count portals to the other side as local storm systems.

"Need a hand?"

She turned and saw Mary Margaret standing in the door, her face still not completely back to its normal colour.

"Shouldn't you be on bed rest?" Regina asked, frowning.

"Doctor Whale just left", Mary Margaret responded with a slight shrug. "He cleared me and the baby, and Catriona, though he had no idea why she had been partially affected as well. Apparently the human body has a surprising tolerance for ghost possession."

She walked into the room and grabbed the broom that Regina had leaned against the table.

"And he told me I have a tough placenta, which somehow came out creepy. May I?"

Regina studied her for a while before she gave a small nod, at which Mary Margaret started sweeping the shatters of glass into piles. A soft knock on the door caused them both to turn and Regina did not find herself surprised to see Arianne standing there.

"I just wanted to tell you that we're about to leave", she said with a hint of a smile. "Catriona's tired after her ordeal and it's all really confusing, so I guess we're in need of a good night's sleep."

"Yes, of course", Regina said and rose, managing a smile of her own. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Not sure if that was by choice", Arianne mused, "but still."

Her smile faltered somewhat and for a moment Regina thought the younger woman was about to give her a hug. If she did, she thought better of it and cleared her throat.

"We'll get through this, Regina", she assured her. "We'll stop Zelena. I know we will."

"It would really help us all to have that sort of belief", Regina said. Arianne smiled.

"I meant what I said yesterday. You have an ability to prove people wrong and that's exactly what you're going to do to her as well."

A call from Clarissa caused her to turn; her friends were already out through the door, just waiting for her to come. Arianne shot one last smile in the Mayor's direction before hurrying after them. Regina stood still for a few moments, staring at the now closed door, before once again kneeling down and putting a candleholder back in its place on one of the shelves.

"You want to talk about it?" Mary Margaret suddenly asked.

"What's there to talk about?" Regina replied, busying herself with the lamp Cora had knocked over upon her arrival in the room. "You officially have a less damaging relationship with my mother than I do, and you killed her."

She sat down on one of the chairs by the table, placing the lamp in front of her. It was as broken as her mentioned relationship with her maternal parent was.

"Well, at least we know, you and me", Mary Margaret said, "our history... more complicated than we thought."

Regina wondered if that was the understatement of the year; complicated did not seem to fit their history at all. Apparently her mother had been in love with Mary Margaret's father, engaged to him even, and then Mary Margaret's mother had gotten in the way; revealing that Cora was already pregnant and was only trying to marry a royal quickly so that she could pretend the child was legitimate.

"I know how much you looked up to Eva", she said, turning to look at the pregnant woman sweeping the floor. "I'm sorry you had to learn she had such darkness in her past."

Mary Margaret nodded and leaned the broom against the wall, before walking over to the table and sitting down as well.

"That wasn't the woman I knew", she sighed. "It makes me wonder what happened that changed her. I suppose I'll never know."

"Well", Regina said, "we can never know our past completely. If we had, I probably would not have spent so much time trying to kill you."

Mary Margaret turned towards her, looking amused for the first time that night.

"We would have found something to fight about", she pointed out, "I mean, I was such a brat."

Regina felt the corners of her mouth turning upwards.

"Your mother's child."

Mary Margaret chuckled slightly at that and Regina felt warm inside. This was how she had felt when the two of them had first met, when she had saved Snow White from falling off her careening horse. She had cared for her and then she had allowed darkness to poison their relationship due to Snow revealing to Cora that Regina wanted to run away with a stable boy.

"I think we've wasted our last day being hunted by the past", Mary Margaret now said. Regina forced a smile and gulped down the tears that threatened to burst out.

"Now we can focus on being haunted by our impending lack of a future."

"Zelena isn't going to win", Mary Margaret protested, "not with all of us united against her."

"Hope isn't easy when I know she holds my heart", Regina replied, her voice threatening to break.

"Which you'll get back", Mary Margaret assured, "stronger than ever; that's what it means to be the most resilient."

"That can be another one of her tricks, too."

"Regina", Mary Margaret said, sounding utterly serious, "I've seen what life's thrown at you and you still fight against the darkness every single day. Sooner or later, your heart will find its way to happiness."

Her happiness, Regina thought. This was the second time someone had brought it up today. All she could think about when she heard that word was that she had always run from it, because she did not feel that she deserved it. She had done it in the Enchanted Forest and she had done it here in Storybrooke and she would probably continue doing it for what little time she had left.

"That doesn't feel possible", she admitted, her voice not becoming stronger than a loud whisper. A tear spilled out of her right eye as she spoke, trailing down her cheek.

"But it is", Mary Margaret said and grasped her hand, holding it in both of hers. "I know you and you feel things deeply. With or without it you feel things with your whole soul. Don't let _anything_ hold you back."

Another tear escaped from her eyes, this time from her left, but before she could respond to Mary Margaret's speech David knocked on the door.

"You ready to go?" he asked his wife. Regina quickly hid her face from him.

"Yeah, sure", Mary Margaret said and rose. Regina followed, wiping the tears away without David noticing it. Apparently Emma, Hook and Belle had already left and the Charmings were the only ones still in her house.

"Well", she said and smiled, "thank you for coming."

"Anytime, Regna", Mary Margaret said and actually embraced her. Regina returned the embrace and then gave David a brief smile before the couple disappeared out through the door. She made sure to lock it behind them before leaning against the wood. Happiness. She needed to find happiness, experience it, just one flicker of it before her days ended with Zelena using her heart for her own curse. Taking two long strides to the coat hanger she grabbed her white scarf and grey coat, not bothering to close it before she surrounded herself in purple smoke.

She ended up in the forest, surrounded by the smell of pine trees and the sound of a fire crackling nearby. She made her way towards it and hid among the trees, watching the man she had decided to seek out from afar. He was far from his camp, she realized, perhaps patrolling the woods to fight off possible monkey attacks, but something in his face told her otherwise. No, she realized, he had come out here to be alone. Her eyes trailed down his outstretched right arm, down to his hand, in which he held a stick that he poked around the fire with. On the wrist she saw the mark that had had him running from him twice; a black shield with a rearing lion. The man with the lion tattoo, Tinker Bell had called him all those years ago. The fairy had come to Regina's bedroom in the palace not long after her marriage to King Leopold, telling her that she had a second True Love out there. Using pixie dust to track him down the duo had been led to a tavern in a small village. The dust had surrounded a man with his back to the door, making it impossible for the two women to make out his face, but as he raised his tankard to have the barmaid fill it for him they had spotted the tattoo on his wrist. And she had run from him that day, not allowed herself to even consider a happy life with him by her side.

Then fate had brought them together here, or perhaps even in the Enchanted Forest, during the time none of them could remember. He had flirted with her, bantered, not been afraid to tease her. It was surprising and refreshing to meet such a man when all people ever said was that you were the image of evil; the Evil Queen. Their moment in the Witch's kitchen still caused warmth to soar through her and probably made her heart thump wildly wherever it was, but then the moment had been destroyed by her noticing the tattoo. And she had run; again.

Even now she considered running. He had not seen her, did not know that she was watching him, and no harm would be done by leaving right away. But she steeled herself, straightened her back and marched out towards him. His eyes spotted her at once, widening in surprise as he rose.

"My lady", he said as she came to a halt in front of him. She opened her mouth to speak, wanted to ask him to have that drink they had spoken of having, but he was faster.

"I'm sorry."

She closed her mouth in surprise. The times when people had said those words to her since she became the Queen were few; in fact she believed she could count the times on her fingers. He stepped closer, his blue eyes filled with sincere regret. He blamed himself, she realized, for what had happened that morning.

"I let you down", he continued. "Your heart was lost to Zelena on _my_ watch, but I promise you; I will get it back."

All thoughts of sharing a friendly drink fled from her mind as she looked up into those deep, sincere eyes of his. Instinctively she instead reached up and grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him towards her and closing the distance between them by kissing him. She could feel him tense momentarily before his lips started to move against hers, slowly, tentatively. The feeling caused her to let go and take a step back, eyes widening. This was not what she had planned to do. In fact this was the most stupid idea she had ever done; kissing a man whom she had only known for a few days? Idiot! She wanted to hit herself with something but then her eyes met his gaze again. He had not moved since she broke the kiss, his lips were parted in surprise and his eyes wide for the same reason, but they seemed... hooded. There was desire in them.

Just when she had realized that he closed the distance between them again, causing her to gasp in surprise at the warmth this new kiss caused to sizzle through her veins. One of his hands went up into her hair while the other rested on her hip, pressing her against him. And in that moment she knew that Regina would never run from Robin Hood again. Ever.


	58. 57: Brown-Cloaked Rider

**Time for a trip back to the Enchanted Forest!**

* * *

_Three Weeks Prior_

_Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest_

It was nearly a year since they had left Storybrooke and David's heart felt just as heavy as it had then, maybe even heavier. Mainly because suddenly things were looking scarily alike how they had looked when the old curse was cast; his wife was heavily pregnant and a Witch had threatened to ruin their coming happiness for them. The only difference was that the one who had threatened them in the past now sat at the round table behind him, as their ally, while it was her sister they were trying to fight and so far they had not been doing too well.

To make matters worse the group of younger sorcerers who had joined them in the fight had left over a week ago to seek out a man who might know of their past, in the coldest corners of the Enchanted Forest at that. David had realized that he really had no say in the matter and if he had been in the same position as they were he would have done the same, but the fact that they had not yet come back worried him. Snow White had tried to tell him that they would be back soon, or perhaps she was assuring herself that they would, but he still worried and he was not quite sure why.

The door to the council chamber opened, causing him to turn away from the painted window he had been staring out through and look at the leader of the Seven Dwarves; Grumpy.

"Tell me you've found something", David said and walked back to his seat by the table, on Snow's right.

"I've been to Blue", the dwarf responded, "Tink, all the fairies; they've been scouring the forest for enchanted items to destroy her, but they got zilch. They say she's just too powerful."

David sighed heavily as he sat down, his mind trying to figure out what other options they had besides the fairies' magic as of now.

"It's happening again", Snow said to his left. "I'm about to give birth and an evil sorceress is threatening the future of my child."

"To be fair, the first time, I was threatening you", Regina pointed out, her voice harsh. She had gone back to her Evil Queen persona during the course of the year, something that the others suspected was due to her hurting after the loss of her son. Now she shrugged nonchalantly at them.

"Everyone else just became collateral damage."

"Remind me again why we forgave her?" Grumpy asked.

"Because I'm _helping_", Regina responded, sounding offended and glaring at the dwarf. David could not help but notice how Robin Hood, sitting on Regina's right, smirked amusedly at this. There was something up with those two, he was sure, besides the fact that every time they were together in a room people had to keep them from ripping out each other's throats. It was actually surprising to see them sitting next to one another in a civilized manner and not try to do exactly that.

"Frustrating as it is for me to remember", the Queen continued and turned her dark gaze away from the dwarf toward her former nemesis, "Snow, you had a head start to defeat me last time. How?"

"We were warned", David responded.

"By Rumplestiltskin", Snow finished.

"Well, maybe he can warn you again", Regina suggested. David felt his eyes widen in surprise, but it was Grumpy who voiced his thoughts first.

"Wait, you want to sneak into Rumple's castle, where he's being held captive by the Wicked Witch? The name's Grumpy, not Stupid."

"You're right", Snow said, "it is stupid, but... for our child..."

She looked at David, who nodded and reached over to take her hand.

"We'll do whatever it takes", he filled in.

"Heartwarming", Regina sarcastically remarked, causing Granny to roll her eyes at her. The old woman had definitely not forgiven Regina for the cursed years in Storybrooke, and all the things that happened prior to that.

"He's trapped in his own castle", Regina continued and turned towards the sixth member of the council they were holding. "Belle, you were a prisoner there."

"Yes, but breaking in?" Belle responded, shaking her head. "I would have no idea how."

"Luckily, I do", Robin suddenly said, causing the others to turn towards him in surprise. He cocked his head slightly to the right as he spoke.

"I broke in there once before."

Regina laughed a dry, annoyed laugh.

"Why are we even listening to him?" she asked. Robin turned towards her and a new, amused smirk crept up on his lips while the Queen continued her rant.

"He's a thief, which means he's not to be trusted", she said and narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you even still doing here?"

"What I'm doing here is saving your ass", Robin casually responded. David had to look down in order to not burst out laughing at Regina's stunned expression and the fact that Snow's head whipped around towards the leader of the Merry Men, equally surprised. Pleased with the silence he had caused Robin leaned forward, placing his arms on the table.

"The castle has traps", he said, "and deadly ones."

"Not more deadly than my magic", Regina replied, refusing to look at the man who had just spoken. Robin turned towards her, the muscles in his chin tightening and David realized that the two would soon enter another wordy argument.

"They are, if you don't see them coming", Robin stated. Regina's head whipped around towards him; she was gritting her teeth in annoyance and the glare in her eyes was not something to think lightly of.

"Maybe I'm okay with taking my chances", she hissed.

"Alright, you may be, but we're not", Snow interrupted. "He's coming."

Regina's eyes widened in surprise at her stepdaughter's decision, before she leaned back in her chair and cast another glare in Robin's direction. He smirked triumphantly at her, which only caused the Queen to purse her lips and look away again.

A shout from out in the courtyard caused them all to look up. David quickly rose from his chair and hurried over to the window again, seeing a horse and a rider galloping in beneath the archway.

"Something's happened", he said as he recognized the horse as one of their own, one of those that the fourteen young sorcerers had used to get to the North. He led the way out of the room and down to the stairs to the ground level, where one of the stable boys was leading the rider inside.

"What's happened?" David called as they neared the still cloaked rider. "Where are the others?"

The stable boy helped the rider sit down on a chair, causing the brown hood of the cloak to fall off.

"Rachel", David breathed. He should have known; she was the best rider out of the group. If they needed to get a message somewhere fast she would be their best option. Now she hardly seemed to hear him as her face was contorted in pain and her breathing rasped through her dry throat.

"Water", Snow said. "She needs water; somebody get her some water!"

Regina moved forward, flicking her hand and summoning a glass of crystal clear water from the kitchen. David grabbed it and helped his friend drink from it. She gulped it down until she swallowed it wrongly and instead started coughing.

Once the fit had subsided she forcibly calmed her breathing before managing to open her eyes. They were red from lack of sleep.

"The Witch", she managed to say, "she... she took him."

"Who?" David asked and knelt next to the chair. "Who did she take?"

"Toby", Rachel said and tried to sit up straighter. He placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her down.

"Take it easy", he ordered. "Just tell us what happened."

"That is one long story", Rachel muttered and ran a hand through her hair.

"Did you find him?" Regina asked. "Ollivander, did you find him?"

Rachel nodded.

"Yes. He explained... everything."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"We were on our way back when the monkeys came. They were after Toby and they got him, and his wand."

"Why were they after him?" Belle asked with a frown.

"Because of the prophecy", Rachel responded, "or so we think."

"What prophecy?" Regina questioned, narrowing her eyes. Rachel shook her head.

"Doesn't matter now. Point is she took him. The others are on route to free him, but we thought you should know what was going on... and that we have a past in this world as well."

"A past?" Robin said, stepping up with a frown. "You mean you are the Children of Magic?"

"The what?" David asked.

"A long time ago, I saved a baby girl from being killed due to her magic powers", Robin explained. "I brought her to a safe haven up in the North where an old wizard told me of other children like her, that would one day return here to help defeat the darkness."

"Wait, I read about that", Belle remarked. "There was a child like that in my father's town whom my father wanted to kill, but I told the parents of the haven in the North."

Rachel groaned.

"Not to wonder Ollivander was so damn pleased with the situation", she muttered and sat up straighter.

"What is the prophecy?" David said, turning towards her again.

"Exactly what Robin said", she responded. "The Children of Magic will return to help defeat the darkness. The Children of Magic are me and my friends and in this world, apparently mainly in this castle, are people representing our connections in this world; people who are the reason we were able to come back. Which was why we appeared right when you got back here and not earlier."

"And this has to do with us how?" Regina asked. Rachel slowly rose from her chair and David instantly supported her.

"Because standing in front of me are five of those connections", she said and looked at them one at a time. "The Thief, the Beauty, the Pure, the Evil..."

She paused and turned towards David.

"And the Prince."

He frowned at the strange expression in her eyes, but she looked away before he could ask her about it.

"Each of you has found one person in my group whom you feel that you can trust", she continued, "trust without really knowing why; you just do. That's whom you are connected to."

Eyes widened with realization as everyone seemed to realize whom she was referring to in their own case. David did too; there was only one in that group he had trusted from their first meeting.

"You", he said, drawing her attention. "I'm your connection, aren't I? That's why you gave me that look of yours just now."

She opened her mouth to respond but he shook his head as interruption.

"Don't worry; we'll save Toby and help the others get back here", he said. "You stay here and rest; we'll be back in no time."

"David, please, there's something else you don't know about me", Rachel said as he turned towards the stable boy in the doorway to ask him to prepare horses for them. Her words caused him to frown and he turned back to look at her. The strange expression in her eyes was still there.

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath before responding.

"Ollivander didn't just tell us about the prophecy and our connections and the like", she said. "He told us who we once were; about the families that we were born into, where we came from."

She paused again and he felt his frown deepen.

"Where did you come from?" he slowly asked.

"I was born on a farm", she responded with a hint of a smile. "I don't know who my father is, or was, but my mother..."

"Hey", he said, smiling reassuringly, "when all this is over I'll help you find her, alright?"

"No, please, let me finish", Rachel said and swallowed. "David, my mother gave me up to protect me from the Dark One, because she had already lost her two older sons due to his deals."

David blinked in surprise.

"What?"

Rachel took a deep breath before she responded.

"I'm your sister."

* * *

**And with that I can officially say the Charming-family just got even more complicated...**


	59. 58: Red Dress

**I'm actually almost caught up with how much I've written. That's a really odd feeling...**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Robin Hood could not decide if he was dreaming or not. Ever since Regina had appeared by his lonely outpost the night before, ever since she had pulled him in for their first kiss, he had not been able to let her go. He needed to feel something of hers against him at all times; he was addicted to her touch, her smell, her voice, her taste. Especially her taste.

They had spent the night at her house and as the gentleman he was he made sure they did not go too far during this first encounter of theirs. Regina seemed grateful for that as well and had fallen asleep curled up against his chest, enclosed in his arms, and he himself had not slept so well for he did not know how long. He did not have to worry about Roland; Tuck had promised to look after him when Robin had said that he needed to leave the camp and patrol the forest. Instead of waking up beside a cold and dead fire he woke to her still in his arms and it warmed his heart and soul.

He had disentangled himself from her as gently as he could and gone into the kitchen, preparing breakfast for her. He had no idea of how to use all of these machines that Regina kept on her benches, but fruit – that he did know how to make a breakfast out of. He also worked out how to heat up water on the stove pretty easily and made them both tea, before putting all of these things on a tray and carrying back up to her bedroom. She was awake when he entered, a confused frown on her face being replaced by a surprised stare at his appearance, before her lips widened in a smile.

They ate their breakfast together in bed, talking about everything and nothing, only interrupting it by kissing the other. When they got dressed later Robin could not help but admire the lean body of the woman he was falling desperately in love with, encased in a tight, red dress. Who could blame him, really?

He accompanied her to _Granny's Bed & Breakfast_ where Regina had a meeting with some of the others. He desperately wished he could stay as well, but he needed to get back to Roland before anyone started worrying about his disappearance. Still, that did not mean that he was just going to leave her; he intended to stay by her side for as long as it was possible.

And that was why they now stood pressed against each other in the corridor outside the series of bedrooms at _Granny's_, gently teasing each other with soft, short, butterfly kisses. Each one sent a shiver down his spine and he longed for more, longed for her, longed for them together.

Slowly Regina pulled back from him, staying in his embrace but separating their faces, allowing them to look at each other without the other one seeming blurry. She cocked her head slightly to the side as she studied him.

"What do you see in me?" she asked, her voice soft. The question took him slightly by surprise; it would be more accurate to ask what he did _not_ see in her. The answer to that would be someone who was evil, dark and incapable of love. He knew better.

"Hopefully the same thing you see in me", he responded. "A second chance."

His mouth curved upwards in a teasing smile.

"And you're quite a good kisser."

Regina's lips widened in a wide, beautiful smile at that comment.

"Jus wait till I actually have my heart back", she remarked, a teasing glint in her eyes that sent another shiver down his spine. Still, hearing about her missing heart brought a wave of guilt on him. She had said that he had done the right thing, more than once, but a heart was a valuable thing. He should not have handed it over just like that.

"What is that like?" he asked, meeting her gaze again. "I mean, can you..."

"Feel?" she filled in, causing him to nod. "Yes, I can. Just not... fully. It's difficult to explain."

He saw the sadness in her eyes and wished nothing but to take it away, to bring back her happiness and her smile.

"Then don't", he said and took her hand in his, placing it on top of his chest. "Use mine for the both of us."

The smile that now appeared on Regina's face conveyed more emotions than words could ever do; happiness, love, sadness, fear, all in that one expression. Before he had any chance to ask her about it the hand resting on his chest moved up to his cheek as she leaned in and kissed him again, deeper this time. His eyes closed as he pulled her closer to him again, wishing they could stay like this forever.

A door slammed shut somewhere close and Regina let out a startled gasp, turning in his arms and effectively breaking the kiss. He was about to send an angry glare at whoever it was that had interrupted them when he spotted the teenage boy standing a few feet behind Regina, a sheepish smile visible on his lips.

"Henry", Regina said and pulled free from Robin's arms, forcing herself to become the Mayor again. "Good morning."

Robin felt as if he was the teenager who had been caught by a woman's father while kissing her; this was Regina's son, who no longer remembered her. He had seen them and Robin instantly knew that if the boy got his memories back he would not forget this incident; he would question them both about how long they had been together and if Robin had any intentions to hurt Regina. That was at least what Robin expected to happen based on what Regina had told him about her son.

At the moment, however, the boy was simply embarrassed to have caught the town's Mayor kissing a seemingly random man outside his bedroom.

"Morning", he said. "Excuse me, Madame Mayor."

He quickly averted his gaze from the couple and hurried past them, down the stairs and out through the door, probably heading towards the diner. Regina looked after him as he went, sadness etched upon her face.

"Are you alright?" Robin gently asked, squeezing Regina's hand, the only thing she had kept contact with during the encounter with Henry. The woman in front of him swallowed hard before managing to meet his gaze.

"No, I'm not alright", she whispered. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes any second now and he wanted nothing but to kiss away her sorrows, to guide her back out of the darkness and into the light.

"They're waiting for me", she suddenly said and turned, pulling her hand from his grasp. "I should go."

"Wait", he said, his voice a silent, pleading whisper as he caught her arm. She turned towards him and he cradled her head in his hands, running his fingers through her silky black hair as he leaned in for another kiss, tasting her hungrily. She responded with equal favour and pressed herself against him. Smiling slightly he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers while gently brushing her cheeks with his thumbs, brushing away the imaginary tears. She managed to return the smile, budging her nose against his. Slowly he pulled back and gazed into her dark eyes.

"Good luck", he said, smiling reassuringly at her. Her smile widened even further and he wondered when someone had last wished her luck in anything, when someone had done everything to make her smile the way he now managed to. He leaned in for another quick kiss before releasing her and allowing her to turn towards the door Henry had previously exited, which would lead her to Emma's room and the meeting she had to attend. He held onto her hand for as long as possible, smiling at her as she closed the door. It then took him a while before he even considered leaving.

A throat cleared behind him, causing him to break free from his reverie and spin around. Jade was grinning at him from an open door on the opposite side of the corridor.

"That's not something you wake up to every morning", she remarked. "How long has this been going on?"

"That's none of your concern", he remarked, even though he could not keep the smile off his face. Jade just chuckled at his attempt.

"Have it your way", she said, "just don't let Clarissa see you. If she does she will have a field day and freak out about how adorable you two are."

"Thank you, I suppose."

Jade opened the door a little wider and stepped out. He frowned when he saw that she was carrying a small hunting bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Where are you going with that?" he asked.

"To get some practice", she responded. "Magic doesn't always work, so we decided to get some real weapons to fight with as well. I'm off to meet with Miranda, Clarissa and Rowan for an archery session. Would the world's most famous archer like to come along?"

She made a mocking bow in his direction, causing him to chuckle.

"Only to show you how to really shoot an arrow", he said, before following her down the stairs.

"Now that did not carry a double meaning at all, did it?" Jade responded with a teasing smile. Robin just shook his head at her, before they exited the house.


	60. 59: White Past

**Sorry for the lack of updates but now I'm DONE with school for this semester and I'm ready to get back to writing this. I'm now going to post the final set of chapters that's done – then you'll get them at a more even speed and not all of them at once ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Emma and Henry lived in the biggest room at _Granny's_, located in one of the corners of the building. Where the other rooms only had a bed and some necessities this room also held a couch, a table, two cushioned chairs and a bookcase. Ella had not hesitated to walk over to it the first thing she did when she got there and look through the titles while Rachel, Indira and Chris joined the adults and chit-chatted with Henry. The boy soon left, however, having been promised to go on another fishing-trip with Leroy. Soon after that Regina entered, smiling widely to herself as she closed the door. A slight blush was visible on her cheeks and all in all the look seemed to surprise the Charmings.

"Regina", Mary Margaret said, sounding amused, "if I didn't know any better I'd say you look smitten."

Regina put on her regular proud and regal face as she walked over to them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, if I didn't know any better I'd say Haagen-Dazs is smitten with your stomach", she remarked, causing the others to smile in amusement. "Can we get started?"

"We were waiting for Hook", Emma responded.

"I don't have time to wait for the handless wonder", Regina remarked. "We have to figure out how to destroy my sister."

"For once, I agree with Regina", David said. "Stopping her plan is the priority."

"Well, in that case", Emma said and sat up straighter in her chair, "there's one thing about the plan that doesn't fit. Regina."

"I thought she was the point of it", Chris remarked. Regina nodded.

"Yes, so she can take my life for herself."

"Yes", Emma agreed, "but why bring you back to Storybrooke? Why bring any of you?"

"Emma's got a point", Indira agreed.

"Well, yesterday you said no one's ever succeeded in travelling through time", Rachel said thoughtfully. "Perhaps something from this world makes it possible."

"Maybe", Regina sighed, her brow furrowed, "but what's almost as troubling is that she was able cast the curse – to bring us all here in the first place."

David nodded and rose, pacing over to the window.

"Why's that?" Ella asked.

"To do it you have to give up the thing you love most", Regina responded. "From what I gather Zelena doesn't love much."

"Neither did you, but you managed", Emma pointed out, earning herself a glare from the Mayor.

"Zelena's smart", David said and turned back towards the rest of them, "strategic. Perhaps we discovered something in the missing year to stop her."

"And then the only way to stop us from interfering was to bring us here and wipe our memories", Ella filled in.

"So if we get our memories back", Mary Margaret said, "we might already know how to defeat her."

"We just need to break this curse", David remarked and shifted his eyes towards Emma, as did the rest of them. He mouth dropped and she squirmed under their attention.

"Well, thank goodness we have a Saviour", Indira mused.

"I would love to", Emma managed to answer, "but there's one problem. Last time, all it took was me believing in magic and kissing Henry. Since I've been back I've done both and nothing."

Regina suddenly gasped in realization.

"It's the belief."

"What?" Chris asked, frowning at the Mayor. She was smiling widely and Ella could not help but wonder if there was already a perfectly planned out plan forming in her head.

"Henry; _he_ needs to believe", Regina explained. "In this new life he doesn't; we have to get him to believe again."

"So, what, we put on a magic show?" Indira asked with a frown. Chris snorted at the suggestion, which caused Regina to roll her eyes before turning towards Emma again.

"How did you believe?"

"The book", Emma answered, "Henry's storybook."

"That's what started Henry on his original path", Regina said, "and what got you to believe; it's the key! And him believing and him remembering... remembering everything."

She sounded excited at the mere thought of her adoptive son doing just that, but Ella could not help but notice Emma's face darkening somewhat in turn.

"That's not necessarily a gift", the blonde said, her voice low. "He's been through a lot of tough stuff."

"And some _good_ stuff", Regina responded, her voice close to a growl.

"Either way", Rachel said, breaking the tension between the two women, "it's our best bet from what I've heard so far."

"She's right", Mary Margaret agreed, looking at her daughter. Emma took a deep breath before she nodded.

"I know."

"You guys received it from Mary Margaret in order to learn about our pasts", David said, his gaze meeting Rachel's.

"Yes, Toby and I went through the whole thing while we were trying to figure out which people the Witch was targeting when collecting her ingredients", she agreed. "He should have it in his bedroom here at _Granny's_."

"I'll go check", Chris said and rose. "He should still be there unless he's out on some errand or something."

The door closed behind him as he hurried away.

"What is it about that book anyway?" Indira asked. "How can it contain all your stories, the true versions of them and not the ones penned down by other fairytale writers in this world?"

"Don't know", Mary Margaret admitted. "During the last curse it just showed up in my closet when I needed it, or, more accurately, when Henry needed it."

"What do you mean?" Ella asked.

"He was going through a rough time", Mary Margaret responded and glanced at her daughter. "He was realizing he had been given up; he didn't feel like he had a real family."

Emma's gaze fell to the floor while Regina sighed.

"He did", the Mayor said. Mary Margaret turned towards her former stepmother, looking apologetic.

"That may be, but, Regina, he wasn't feeling that way with you or with anyone. He needed to believe in happy endings again. That's what the book gave him."

Regina swallowed and nodded slowly.

"Well, he needs to believe again", she said, before trailing her gaze over all of them. "In fact, I think we all do."

Several nods were exchanged among the members of the meeting, before the door suddenly burst open again. Chris came inside, followed by Toby who clutched the mentioned storybook in his hand.

"Just so you all know", the newcomer said as he handed the book to Regina, "there are chapters on Oz in there. I've gone over them fifteen times and I've found nothing that can help us defeat Zelena, except for the fact that Dorothy seemed to melt her by throwing water at her."

"Well, since the stories in the book are true and Zelena's still here, that must have been some illusion", Ella pointed out, "to get people to believe that she had been defeated."

"So there's nothing that can help us figure out who's heart she had to crush to enact the curse?" Regina asked.

"Hold on, one has to _crush_ the heart to enact the curse?" Indira asked with a frown.

"Yes, it's in the book", Toby responded, "but no; nothing that could possibly be the thing she loves the most."

"Well, if we can break the curse by making Henry believe in magic again, we might already know what we need to know", Rachel said and rose. "Let's go get him."

As everyone in the room put their coats and jackets back on, a loud, buzzing noise erupted from Ella's pocket. She quickly fished out her phone and saw Toby doing the same with his.

"You got a text, too?" she asked. He nodded, frowning at the screen.

"It's from Wolf", he said. Ella looked down at her own screen and nodded, although she frowned at the three words that the message contained.

"What?" Emma asked, looking from one to the other.

"I think we just found out where Henry is", Toby admitted, "and I think this text means trouble."

He turned the phone so that the others could see the three words as well. Ella, of course, did not need to; she had received the same text and it did send her pulse raising.

Henry.

Docks.

Now.

* * *

**And there's trouble again!**


	61. 60: Hidden Behind Grey Stones

_Three Weeks Prior_

_Dark Castle, Enchanted Forest_

"You sure this is where it took him?" Maryse hissed.

"Positive", Arianne responded. "I cast a tracking spell on it the moment I realized we would have to follow."

Maryse pursed her lips and turned to look down into the valley once more. They were far up among the mountains, the cold winds blowing around them with promise of snow. Luckily for them the ground was currently bare, which meant they left no directly visible tracks behind them. The bad news were that they had had to set up camp further down the mountainside than this cleft between two of the peeks, which was mainly consisting of a castle, the likes you would normally read about in the stories; grey stone, an outer set of walls protecting the keep and several round towers sprouting up towards the sky. Not exactly like the surrealistic Dark Palace they had made into their home. The rest of the group had stayed in camp while Maryse and Arianne got up the mountain to figure out how to get into the castle proper and save Toby. It surprised them that the Witch did not have any monkeys keeping guard over the place, but perhaps she did not trust them enough for that, or perhaps she was too confident with her own magic that it did not matter if people got inside.

"It's going to be difficult to get inside", Maryse sighed.

"There's got to be a way", Arianne responded. Maryse smiled at her friend.

"Of course there is. I just said it's going to be a difficult one."

They swiftly crawled back from the thicket they had used for protection and made their way back down to the camp, which was protected and kept hidden by numerous charms. If Maryse did not know what to look for she might actually have walked past the camp unknowingly, but now she and Arianne knew to stop at a small bush with red berries. They did not have to wait long until a hole in the shield in front of them appeared, growing in size by the second.

"Quick, get inside", Rowan hissed at them. They swiftly obeyed and their friend flicked his wand, closing the hole and sealing the encampment once again.

"What did you find?" Indira asked as the rest of the group gathered around.

"A sturdy keep surrounded by high, thick walls", Maryse responded. "Considering who's inhabiting it there are probably a couple of magical traps to avoid, as well as her pet monkeys."

"So difficult, but not impossible", Jade pointed out. "I'm all up for it."

"We need a proper plan before storming that thing", Miranda pointed out. "Let's face it; we don't even know how it looks on the inside and..."

Chris sharply hushed her, turning towards the small, dark pine forest close by.

"We cast the Muffiliato-charm on the camp, Chris", Tessa pointed out. "No one can hear us."

"Well, I'm not hushing because of that I'm afraid someone will hear us", Chris replied. "I'm hushing because I'm trying to hear something else. Now keep quiet!"

Realizing that he was indeed hearing something move through the forest nearby they all fell silent, staring in the same direction. Slowly six characters materialized out of the dark.

"You should have stayed at the Palace", David remarked.

"And you should know by now that I'm not staying behind when someone I care about is in danger", Rachel replied. David groaned in annoyance, but did not continued the argument.

"This should do well enough", Regina said and stopped the group. "From here I can get us all into the courtyard."

"Of course _she_ knows how to get in", Wolfgang muttered.

"Hey, don't talk like that about her", Arianne snapped. "She's my friend."

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you describe her as a friend", Catriona noted.

"Well, what other word is there, really?" Arianne asked.

"Could we all just stop bickering and break these enchantments so that we can go with them?" Filipi groaned.

"Already on it", Indira responded, her wand pointing at the invisible wall of the protection spell. The air seemed to flicker around it as if it was above a burning fire. Rachel seemed to have noticed it as well.

"Wait", she ordered, raising her hand towards Regina. The woman shot her a deadly glare.

"Are you telling _me_ to wait?"

Rachel ignored the comment and walked closer to where the camp was hidden. A couple of feet away she stopped and looked at what must look like nothing with her head cocked to the side, before she suddenly grinned.

"Oh, you people are just brilliant", she said.

"Who are you talking to?" Belle asked.

"It's a protection spell", Rachel responded as the waves in the air pulsated faster, becoming more apparent even from a distance. "It keeps things hidden. Apparently my friends used it on their camp."

Just then the spell lifted, revealing the group to the newcomers. Rachel's grin widened even further as she rushed forward, enveloping as many of them as she could in a hug.

"You made it back to the others, then", Ella said and inclined at the five others, who now came closer.

"Well, yes, but I can't say I felt that well after reaching them", Rachel replied.

"You still don't look well", Tessa pointed out. "Have you slept anything, or eaten?"

"There was no time for that."

"Well, this is a very happy reunion", Regina interrupted, "but right now we have somewhere to be."

"Yes, we need to rescue Toby from the Wicked Witch", Clarissa agreed.

"Yes, that too", Regina muttered.

"Wait, you didn't come here to help us with that?" Chris asked with a frown.

"We did", David responded, "but we also came to talk with Rumplestiltskin. He's the Wicked Witch's captive, but he cannot be freed since she holds the Dark One's dagger."

"Wait, the Dark One?" Indira asked with a frown. "He's in there?"

"Yes", Robin Hood responded, "originally it was his castle."

"Enough talking", Regina ordered. "Whoever is coming along into that castle has to step forward now. I'm not waiting any longer."

Maryse looked around and saw that everyone else was doing the same.

"I'm staying", Catriona eventually said, "and I think Rachel should stay as well."

"What?" the older woman said. "No, I'm..."

The next moment she collapsed, falling into Filipi's waiting arms. The blonde girl grinned slightly.

"Works every time", she said and gently put her friend down on the ground.

"You've really got some skills with those spells", Wolfgang muttered.

* * *

Regina used her signature purple smoke to transport them all to the castle's courtyard. The Dark Castle looked like she remembered it, but there was still an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach at the fact that it was now ruled by a woman who wanted nothing better than to see her fail.

"If Toby's being held captive he's probably in the dungeons", Belle said when they got inside the entrance hall. "Just follow the corridor until you find a set of narrow stairs to your right. Those will lead you straight there."

"Any magical traps we should worry about?" Tessa asked.

"Not down there, no", Robin Hood answered. Regina pursed her lips at the sound of his voice. She could not believe Snow had agreed to bring him along; he should be back out in the forest, not speaking up at a war council with that damn, sexy... she shook her head, forcing herself to forget the sound of the outlaw's voice. She would not allow herself to get any closer to falling for him than she had been a year ago, when he had shown her kindness and understanding in her darkest hour. Her eyes dark she watched as Tessa, Jade, Maryse, Rowan, Clarissa, Ella, Filipi and Wolfgang disappeared down the corridor to find their friend. Miranda, Chris, Indira and Arianne stayed with them, their wands drawn and ready. Regina turned around again and marched up to the door she knew led to the castle's great hall, the only room in the building that she thought looked remotely alright. She reached for the door handle.

"Your Majesty", came a very familiar, accented voice, "I wouldn't."

She turned to glare at him, before once again reaching for the handle. The next moment an arrow flew past her head and buried itself in the door, which subsequently caught on fire. She gasped in surprise and took an involuntary step back. Her mind raced; he had saved her life. She had given him nothing but hell over the past year, or during the time when she was still the Evil Queen and had hunted him for his crime, and _he_ saved _her_ life?

She spun around, converting her shock into anger, as she always did in these situations.

"That arrow almost took off my head!" she yelled. Robin glared back at her.

"Well, that door almost took off your arm", he replied. "Where I come from a simple _thank you_ would suffice."

Regina stuck her nose up in the air.

"Where you come from, people bathe in the river and use pine cones for money."

The moment she had spoken those words she felt like slapping herself. That was the _worst_ comment she had ever delivered, even Robin seemed to think so as he rolled his eyes at her. She turned away from him and closed her eyes; she could not let herself be pulled in by his appearance and she would _not_ let him get to her again.

"Come on, let's go", Snow said and pushed past her into the great hall.

As they walked in Regina doubted any of them could ignore the sight of the large, wooden cage at the back of the room, inhabited by a strange looking man sitting by a spinning wheel. It squeaked slightly as he worked it, spinning regular straw into golden strands.

"Rumplestiltskin", Snow breathed. A mad giggle sounded from the man in the cage.

"Rumple Bumple isn't here", he cackled. "Rumple Bumple gone, my dear."

"Why's he looking like that?" Indira asked as they moved closer.

"It's the curse", Belle answered. "He looked different once, but the Dark One's curse... it changed him."

Regina huffed.

"He really is back from the dead", she mused.

"Dead", the man said. "Dead. So much better. Dead."

"He's lost his mind", David said.

"On the contrary", Rumplestiltskin said and looked up, his voice close to a growl. "Now I have two; two minds."

His golden lips widened in a grin.

"Mining time", he said to himself as he returned to the wheel. "Digging deeper in the ground."

"What is she doing to him?" Miranda asked.

"Nothing that can't be undone", Snow said, her voice tinted with hope. "Rumplestiltskin, we need your help. How do we stop Zelena?"

"Round and round, the circle of time", Rumplestiltskin responded, "racing towards the finish line."

"This is pointless", Regina said, feeling her heart falter. She had truly hoped that the Dark One would be able to help them figure things out.

"Let me try", Belle said and slowly walked up to the cage. Hesitantly she pushed her hand in between the bars.

"Rumple", she begged, causing the man to grab her hand and look up from his wheel. "I know you're in there. I know you can hear me. How do we stop Zelena?"

The man's expression changed, the madness slowly going out from his eyes.

"Light", he eventually whispered. Belle frowned.

"What?"

"Light magic", Rumplestiltskin clarified. "The Good Witch of the South; Glinda."

"Glinda", Belle repeated. "But, south of what; Oz?"

"No", Rumplestiltskin hissed and pulled her hand further into the cage. "Banished! Here! The Good Witch of the South was banished north, north of the Dark Forest."

With that his voice changed, as did his expression, and he let go of Belle's hand with a grin as the madness returned to his eyes.

"How do we find her?" Snow asked. "Rumplestiltskin, in the Dark Forest; how do we find her?"

Rumplestiltskin leaned over his wheel once again as he spoke, his voice coming out sounding like an old nursery rhyme.

"Through the door, step inside, if pure of heart, then she won't hide."

He giggled madly again and Regina pursed her lips at the sound, before spinning around and leading the way out of the hall.

Back out in the corridor they were met by Rowan and Clarissa.

"He wasn't down there", Clarissa said as they approached.

"The Witch must be keeping Toby somewhere else", Rowan filled in.

"I'll stay and help you search", Robin offered. "There are several other traps in this castle that should be avoided."

"We'll stay as well", Indira said and looked around at those who had been with them inside the great hall. "The mort people to search this place the better. You should go find Glinda."

"We'll send you a message when we do", Snow promised. Regina cast one glance at Robin and, to her surprise, found that he met it. She tried to break away from those blue eyes of his but it was an impossible task as she suddenly felt like drowning in them, in all the emotions she could see there if she looked closely. She parted her lips to speak, to give some snarky comment, but nothing came. His eyes travelled down to her mouth and back up again, the left corner of his mouth tugging upwards in a lopsided smile. She inhaled sharply before breaking free of his gaze and leading the way out through the door, hoping that David and Snow had been too busy planning their oncoming journey to notice this strange moment between the Queen and the outlaw. If they had Regina was sure she would never hear the end of it.


	62. 61: White Snow Beyond the Door

A silent groan escaped his lips as the real world slowly pulled him back again, forcing him to leave the darkness where no pain existed. Now it came back just as powerful as before. His whole body ached and even that felt like an understatement. Every time he moved the slightest a searing pain shot from this or that body part, sometimes causing him to black out, and he welcomed that darkness.

In his latest dreams he thought he had heard them, his friends, but now that he was awake he was able to confirm that it had only been a dream. The cave was just as dark as always, with no entry way in sight, at least he had not seen one during the few times that the cave had been lit up. The few times when _she_ had visited him.

He had seen her before, but only from a distance, when she had appeared in the Dark Palace taunt them and tell them that she would take the unborn child of Snow White and Prince Charming. So far she had not done much more than appear all of a sudden in her signature green smoke and forcing him to eat some cold kind of porridge. His situation seemed to amuse her greatly and she also seemed to take pleasure in touching him, knowing that he could not get away from her. It was hard not to think of Rachel's old story where his character had been trapped by a Huldra and fallen under her spell; now he was trapped for real and even though he was not charmed by the Witch, he certainly had no way of getting out.

He grimaced as he happened to move an inch or two, letting out a painful gasp. His hands were pulled up above his head, fastened by strong, enchanted chains to the cave wall, and the chains binding his feet restricted his ability to move them further than three inches forward, at least by his estimation.

"Aw, still not feeling any better?"

He gritted his teeth as she appeared in a plume of green smoke, all green skin and a pearly white grin. Her arrival caused the torches around the cave to light up and he winced, his eyes not used to it at all after several hours in darkness.

"Poor thing", she said with a pout, her sea-green eyes glimmering mischievously. "After two days I had hoped you would be feeling well again."

"Give me my wand back and I'll show you how well I'm feeling", he growled. She giggled a giggle he was beginning to find very annoying.

"Now, now, that's just the pain going to your head", she said and walked up to him. "I came to tell you the good news; your friends came by to find you."

His breath hitched and his eyes widened.

"What?"

"Surprising, isn't it?" the green-skinned woman said. "They would surely be much better off without you as their leader. After all, they do not seem to listen to you anyways."

"What did you do to them?" he asked. She smiled and cocked her head to the side, letting her long, red hair spill over her shoulder. Anger boiled up within him, fuelled by the pain.

"What did you do?" he roared.

"Oh, nothing yet, dear", she responded. "After all, they're not able to use the spell in that hide you found at the old wandmaker's castle without you being there as well. They're nothing but a minor annoyance."

"You can't keep me here forever", he warned. "Sooner or later I'll break free or they'll find me. I know that they would not give up on me, just like I would not give up on them if our positions were reversed."

"Oh, I won't be keeping you here forever", the Witch said with a new smile, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "Soon, little one, today won't even have existed."

He stared at her as she pulled back, her white teeth standing out against her green skin.

"What are you planning, Witch?" he hissed.

"What I've always been planning, dear", she responded, leaning towards him again. "To get what I deserve."

With that she pressed her lips to his in a hard kiss that he knew was only meant to intimidate him, to let him know that she could do anything to him. That, however, did not stop him from staring at her in shock when she pulled back with a grin and then used her magic to get out of the cave again.

Unlike the previous times she had left he could feel that something was different this time around. It was as if there was a lingering presence of something in the cave; not hers, mind, but still a presence. The darkness rendered him blind, though, so he could not know what that something was. However, as it somehow managed to calm him down again, he knew that it was not something that the Witch had intended to leave behind and for some reason he thought that gave him the upper hand.

"I will get out of here", he promised himself. "Sooner or later I'll break free or they'll find me."

He repeated this over and over until the pain forced him to once again allow sleep to take hold of him.

* * *

Belle had offered to head back to the camp and alert Catriona of what was going on, leaving Regina, Snow and David to venture to the Dark Forest and find Glinda the Good Witch. Regina had, of course, opted to transport them there with a spell, thus now they were walking through said forest looking for some sign of the witch's presence. Snow was glad they had not had to walk or ride there, because in that case David would probably have forbidden her to go in her state. As they trudged on, however, she felt less and less hopeful about their mission and stared down at the murky leaves around her feet.

David, who had walked somewhat ahead of her, suddenly turned towards her with a small smile playing on his lips. She gasped when she saw the small, white flower he held out for her; a snowbell, the first she had seen in the Enchanted Forest since their return. She had always loved snowbells.

"For luck", David said and handed her the flower, making her mood brighten. She turned towards Regina with a smile, intending to say that she truly had belief in their mission, when she saw her stepmother's disapproving frown.

"What?" Snow asked. Regina rolled her eyes.

"We're in the Dark Forest", she said, "trying to find the one person who can stop our imminent doom and save your unborn child, and you two stop to smell the roses?"

Snow noticed how David smiled in amusement at Regina's comment and she herself cocked her head at the flower in her hand.

"Snowbells", she corrected her stepmother.

"I don't care if they're dancing daffodils!" Regina exclaimed. "I need to destroy my sister, and so do you."

She walked away from them, continuing down the trail while still speaking.

"If that babbling mad man sent us on a wild goose chase I swear I'll..."

All of a sudden she stopped talking and walking, staring ahead. Snow cringed her neck to see what it was that the other woman had spotted. Ahead of them the path split in two and right in that split, surrounded by a few stones, stood a door. The frame was built in a red toned type of wood, with carved out details painted in gold. The door itself was grey. Ivy was growing up the sides of the frame, telling the fact that it had been here for some time.

"What's that supposed to be?" Regina asked.

"Well, it appears to be a door", David pointed out, giving Regina a teasing smile which made the former Evil Queen roll her eyes. Snow hid her own smile from her as they stopped and watched as her prince walked closer, inspecting the object. He walked around it and sighed.

"And it leads to nowhere."

Snow felt like laughing; of course it would not seem to lead anywhere.

"Through the door, step inside", she said with a smile, repeating Rumplestiltskin's rhyme, "if pure of heart, then she won't hide."

David looked back at the door, still not certain about the object. Snow, however, had never felt more certain about anything.

"It's Rumple's riddle", she said and walked forward. "It's Glinda."

Determined she opened the door, which seemingly only opened to the empty air on the other side. With another smile she stepped forward.

"No!" she heard David shout just as her surroundings changed. The next moment he was there with her, having run through the door as well. Then the door closed and they stood alone, gaping at the new realm. It was covered in snow; everything around them was a glistening shade of white, from the bushes and the trees of the forest behind them to the snow capped mountain ahead.

"I thought she was supposed to be the Good Witch of the South..." Snow thoughtfully remarked, looking back at the now closed door and wondering why Regina had not followed them.

"I was."

The unfamiliar voice made both members of the couple turn. By the foot of the mountain ahead of them, a woman had appeared. She wore a glistening white dress, her blonde hair was tied up in an intricate hairdo, and the little skin she showed seemed to sparkle. Around her neck she wore a necklace with a square-cut jewel probably the size of Snow's palm. The blonde woman now smiled sadly at them and looked at her surroundings.

"Before I was banished here", she finished her previous statement.

"Where's Regina?" David asked, voicing his wife's thoughts without knowing it.

"I'm afraid your travelling companion has a heart heavy with vengeance", Glinda the Good Witch responded. "Only a good witch may pass through my door."

"I'm not a witch", Snow quickly corrected, "my name is..."

"I know who you are", Glinda said, another soft smile playing on her lips. "I've heard many tales of your bravery, and now you hold not one pure heart, but two."

A soft thud nearby made them all turn around, noticing two figures scrambling to get up off the ground.

"Where are we?" Catriona asked as she emerged out of the snow. "Is this Narnia?"

"What are you two doing here?" Snow asked in return.

"I have no idea", Rachel admitted as she brushed off the snow from her shoulders. "Last thing I remember is Filipi knocking me out."

"You two are here because you share unbreakable bonds with Prince David and Princess Snow White", Glinda responded. "Once they passed through my portal you did as well. There is powerful magic at work here."

"Magic", Snow said. "That's why we're here."

"We were told your light magic could help defeat the Wicked Witch", David continued. "We've come to ask for your help."

"I'm sorry", Glinda responded, "my magic is not powerful enough to defeat Zelena. It never has been."

"You know her?" Rachel asked with a frown. Glinda smiled briefly.

"We were friends", she said, "long ago, when things were different. But she made her choice; she gave in to her dark magic. I tried to stop her. I failed."

"There must be some way to defeat her", Snow protested.

"There is", Glinda agreed. "She was born with great power. Long ago I gave her a pendant to help focus it and her magic has resided inside of it ever since."

She touched the stone of her necklace to show what she meant and Snow recalled the green stone that Zelena had worn around her neck the only time she had come face to face with the Wicked Witch.

"So if we can remove it", Catriona said, "she'll lose her power and we can defeat her?"

"Yes", Glinda agreed, "but only a purveyor of the strongest light magic will be able to accomplish such a feat."

"Emma", Rachel and Catriona said at once. Snow and David both turned towards them in surprise.

"How did you..."

"Ollivander", Rachel responded.

"He said that only Emma Swan, your daughter, can defeat Zelena because she's able to wield the strongest light magic; magic born out of True Love", Catriona clarified.

"If she is as pure and powerful as you say, then yes; only she can defeat Zelena", Glinda agreed.

"But she's not in this land", David protested, "and we can't get back to her."

"Which was why I didn't say anything about Ollivander before and hoped there was another solution to this", Rachel muttered. Glinda's smile faltered.

"Then I'm afraid your quest is futile."

"Actually", Snow said and swallowed, closing her eyes, "there is a way. But there's a steep price."

"No, Snow", David protested, touching her arm, "you can't mean..."

"Yes", Snow interrupted, opening her eyes and hoping that she did not look as shaken as she felt. "We must enact the Dark Curse."


	63. 62: Red Sacrifices

It was not often that Regina found herself speechless. At least it had never been like that before, but perhaps siding with the heroes caused that trait. First, she had been unable to walk through the portal in the door, which had both angered and surprised her. Second, Prince Charming and Snow had returned from whatever place they visited on the other side of the door, suddenly together with Catriona and Rachel, and claimed that they must enact the Dark Curse. It was enough to render anyone speechless; to be honest, most would probably have had to sit down in shock. But Regina did was not prone to such manners.

"Are you out of your minds?" she eventually managed to question, glaring at Snow, who had sat down on one of the nearby stones. "Even if I believe this Glinda, which I don't; to cast the Dark Curse I'd have to destroy the heart of the thing I love most, which for me is Henry!"

"There has to be another way to enact it", Catriona protested.

"I tried that", Regina snapped. "Last time I cast it I tried to use the heart of my most prized stallion, whom I loved very much, but it was not enough. So instead I had to kill my own father!"

"What about a magic bean?" David suggested. "If we had one we could open a portal... or we could use Jefferson's hat!"

"Wait, what are those things?" Rachel asked and frowned at her newly discovered brother.

"Jefferson is the Mad Hatter in your world", Snow responded. "He was able to travel between worlds with his hat."

"The hat was, however, destroyed in Storybrooke", Regina bitterly pointed out. "There are no more portals; not for us, not for anyone the curse brought back. When I undid the first curse to escape Pan, to bring us here, it divided our realms. It placed a wall between them."

"But we got through", Catriona pointed out.

"Cat's right", Rachel agreed. "Maybe there is something we can do."

"Like what?" Regina scoffed.

"Ollivander gave us an enchanted cowhide", Catriona answered. "It can be unlocked if all fifteen of us place our wands on it, within a fifteen pointed star."

"What kind of enchantment?" the Queen asked, eyeing the two youngest girls. Rachel shrugged.

"He did not know, or at least not say. But he did say that it was powerful and filled with light magic; not strong enough to defeat Zelena, but enough to aid Emma. Maybe that aid will come in the form of a portal."

"If that's what will happen then you face another problem", Regina said. "Emma has no memories of any of us; if some of you appear wherever she and Henry may be and tell her that she has to come help some fairytale characters..."

"She'll think we're insane", Catriona filled in. "But isn't that our best shot?"

"None of us know if the hide is designed to create a portal", David sighed. "It can be anything if all Ollivander said was that it would help aid Emma in defeating Zelena. The Dark Curse is the only guaranteed way to recreate Storybrooke and find Emma."

"Haven't you been listening?" Regina exclaimed. "I can't cast it!"

David looked up, his expression thoughtful.

"But someone else can."

"Who?" Rachel asked, frowning. "One of us?"

"No", David said and shook his head, before looking at Snow. "You."

Snow's eyes widened and Regina felt just as surprised herself. David knelt down next to his wife as he explained himself.

"It's the only way. You can use my heart to cast the Curse. We have to think of our child."

"Our child needs you", Snow protested. "_I_ need you."

"We'll find another way", Rachel agreed. Snow nodded.

"Yes, we always find another way."

David looked at both of them in silence, his face set with determination. Regina felt her mouth go dry. The prince was right; they did not know what the mentioned cowhide would allow them to do, leaving them with only the Dark Curse as an option, and for the sake of his family he would give up his own life. Not too long ago she would have felt slightly gleeful at the thought of one member of the pair in front of her dying, but now; now she only felt as if someone had run a branch bestowed with thorns through her heart and twisted it around.

David had to die.

It was the only way to defeat Zelena.

* * *

"How big is this place?" Jade exclaimed. "Seriously, why do people have houses like these? I mean, it's exhausting to get from one place to another because it's so big!"

"It's a castle, Jade", Filipi pointed out. "They're supposed to be big."

Robin felt himself smile at the overheard conversation. Ever since Rachel had arrived at the Dark Palace and revealed that they were the Children of Magic and that he was connected to one of them he had become more certain of who that was with every passing moment. Jade had intrigued him from the very first meeting; chipper, quick to speak her mind, ready to defend her friends from anyone or anything. Much like her parents had been. His mood darkened somewhat at the thought of the couple; they had lived with the Merry Men in the years before the Dark Curse had been cast, during which their child had been born. Seeing that the child had magic Robin had offered to bring her north, to save her life. When he had returned the camp had been turned upside down and the couple had been taken prisoner by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Their execution had already been enacted.

"Robin", Rowan called, pulling him out of his reverie, "where does this door lead?"

"The library", Robin responded.

"You sure?" Rowan asked, frowning at the door. "Because Miranda and Tessa said they found a staircase to a large library further down the corridor."

Robin stared at him in surprise, before walking over to the doorway in question.

"I memorized every detail there was to know about this place before breaking in", he said. "This is the way to the library, I'm sure of it, but..."

He paused and pushed the door inwards, revealing a long, narrow stone corridor.

"Considering we're walking through a castle reeking with magic, perhaps I should re-evaluate my beliefs", he finished.

"So, you're saying... this corridor..." Tessa begun.

"It wasn't here when I broke in last time", Robin filled in with a nod, notching an arrow to his bow, "or when me and my men occupied the place after the curse broke."

"The Witch's creation, then", Indira said. "Come on."

"I'll go in first", Robin decided.

"But you have no magic", Jade protested. He glanced at her with a nod.

"Exactly."

"Why is that a good idea?" Maryse asked, voicing the confusion that the others obviously all felt. Robin huffed.

"If this is the route to wherever the Witch is keeping your friend", he said, "I do not doubt that it will be filled with traps. However, those traps might have been set to only prevent the expected people from reaching the end of the line; people with magic."

"So you're just going to march in there alone and hope that you're lucky?" Chris asked. "Are you..."

"He won't be going alone", Jade interrupted. Robin groaned inwardly.

"Jade..."

"Don't _Jade_ me", she argued and stepped forward. "I'm going with you to set off possible traps, because if they only react to people with magic you're going to need someone to activate them with, and there's nothing you can do to stop me, outlaw."

He blinked at her in surprise; he had expected her to argue with him about his decision, but the fact that she called him _outlaw_ all of a sudden was new. Obviously that brief moment of surprise and shock had been her intention with the outburst as she now quickly turned and took the first step in through the door.

"_Lumos_", she said, waving her wand and causing it to glow. It illuminated the long corridor and bathed the roughly cut stone in a ghostly white light.

"Stay at a safe distance behind us", Robin warned the others, once again readying his bow. He then stepped across the threshold and walked after Jade.

The corridor went straight ahead for about fifty feet before turning right. Once they had made it past the turn Robin could feel the stones beneath his feet sloping slightly downward. They also grew slippery and both he and Jade found themselves skidding forward instead of walking more than once. At least yet there were no traps that either of them had set off.

"So", Jade suddenly said, "who's my father? Little John?"

He turned to stare at her, seeing the amused smirk on her face.

"I'm kidding, Robin", she pointed out. "I know it's not him."

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Because he hasn't looked at me in the way that I've seen you do", Jade responded.

"And what way would that be?"

"Painfully. For the past year you've looked at me as if I'm someone from the past, someone that you lost and blame yourself for. So I'm guessing whichever of my parents that I look like was someone who you were unable to save."

He turned away, grimacing as he faced down the corridor once again.

"Honestly I never quite understood why", Jade continued, "until Ollivander told us about our pasts and everything."

She paused and in the corner of his eye he saw her turn her head to look at him.

"You saved my life back then, didn't you?" she asked. Robin sighed.

"The Sheriff of Nottingham had ordered that all people with magic would be executed unless they promised to use their powers to serve him", he explained. "It was one of the decrees I found myself not disagreeing with, because I had just lost Marian due to such a deed. Then you were born."

He paused and smiled briefly at the memory.

"When you were two weeks old a ravaging boar entered our camp. It wrecked most of our tents and ate most of our food supply. I was about to shoot it when I suddenly saw you raise your small hand and force it to leave, with magic. You saved all of us that day and you were just a baby."

"Well, considering your skills with a bow I doubt my magic would have been necessary at that time", Jade huffed.

"Yes, they were exactly what we needed", Robin responded, turning to look at her. "Even though I never miss it is not easy to kill a wild boar. They are sturdy and one arrow will never kill them. In order to kill one you need several arrows and a good distance between it and yourself. I had neither."

He smiled.

"Your parents had already known of your powers, of course, but had feared I would turn you in to the Sheriff in my mad grief. You showed me that magic does not have to be dark and terrible; it can be light and good. And I owe you for that."

Jade smiled back at him and motioned for them to continue down the corridor. It was turning again now, left this time, all the time moving further down. Robin started to feel uneasy; they had been walking for far too long, they should have come across a trap by now.

"Something's not right", he said and stopped. Jade turned to look at him, then waved her wand to increase the light burning at the tip of it.

"Looks alright to me."

"There should have been traps by now", he protested.

"Well, maybe she didn't think we would even find the corridor", Jade pointed out. "I don't consider her to be one of the brightest around here."

Robin was about to respond when something cold and hard smacked into the back of his head. Grunting he fell forward, vaguely hearing Jade scream his name, before he landed on the stone floor and everything went black.

* * *

**And with that I'm caught up with what I've written, so now you just have to sit patiently and wait like you do for other (regular) fanfics ;)**


	64. 63: Stormy Grey Sea

**So, first new chapter! Also I'm currently trying to finish up the flashback sequences so for this part of the story there won't be too many Storybrooke-chapters and they will be somewhat short. Just so you all know!**

* * *

_Present Time_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

It had started snowing heavily not long after they had reached the docks and a cold, salty wind blew in from the sea. Wolfgang took a deep breath and once again wondered why he felt so at home in this climate, as if he belonged out on the now grey waters.

"This must be very different from Australia", Filipi pointed out. "I'm surprised you're not complaining about the cold."

"It feels strangely familiar, actually", Wolfgang responded. The blonde raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't tell me; you're secretly a merman."

He chuckled briefly, before gazing out across the sea again.

"I think it's got to do with Hook", he admitted sourly. "That symbol on the cowhide somehow connects me to him."

"Hey", Filipi said, "that cowhide might provide you with a connection to him, but it does not mean you two have to be best friends forever."

"I doubt that's possible", Wolfgang muttered. "He should have told me that he knew stuff about the missing year and my doings there."

"I don't know why you're so upset", Filipi admitted. He shot her a quick glance; he had told her and the others that Hook had information about the missing year, but he had left out the detail about him attacking Filipi. He could not see why he had done that in the first place; Filipi was the one he had spent most time with here ever since they had arrived and he felt very comfortable in her company.

"Wait", Filipi suddenly said and pulled him in behind one of the boats on land covered in a tarpaulin. Wolfgang frowned at her before looking in the same direction. Further away on the pier, past the corner and close to the boathouses, a man in a long leather coat approached a man in a red cap. He was followed by a teenage boy.

"What's Henry doing with Hook?" Filipi hissed. "I heard the others say that he would be going out with Leroy today because Hook was going to attend that meeting at _Granny's_."

"Something's wrong", Wolfgang agreed. "I'll text the others."

He pulled out his phone and typed three words: _Henry. Docks. Now_. This he then sent to all phones possessed by people in the group.

"Do you think we can get closer?" he asked as he put the phone back in his pocket. "I'd like to hear what they're saying."

"Let's try", Filipi said and slowly moved out next to the boat, sneaking up to the next boat along the line. Wolfgang followed and cursed silently when they were still unable to hear the conversation. Carefully they moved to the next boat, trying to stay out of eyesight from the man in the red cap in particular, since he was turned in their direction.

"...Mr Smee", they now heard the leather clad man, Hook, said. Filipi grinned triumphantly and Wolfgang joined her; they had found a good hiding spot.

"Like from _Peter Pan_?" the teenage boy, Henry, asked. The eyes of the man in the red cap, Smee, widened in surprise.

"You remember?" he asked.

"I've seen the movie a million times", Henry responded.

"It's quite a common name in the seafaring world", Hook interrupted, a small smile playing on his lips. "As luck would have it, he's making sail to New York and would be happy for the company."

Wolfgang turned towards Filipi, who mouthed _New York_ in surprise. Wolfgang's eyes narrowed as he looked back at the trio further down the pier; what was Hook trying to do? Was he kidnapping Henry? Why?

"I am?" Smee now asked, earning himself a glare from Hook. "I mean, I am."

"Really?" Henry asked. "Where's your ship?"

Smee hesitated and turned around, eying the ships tied to the pier.

"There she is", he eventually said, pointing at one of the sail boats.

"You're stealing it, right?" Henry said.

"You want to go to New York or not?" Hook asked in turn. Henry paused and seemed to consider the question.

"He's running away?" Filipi hissed.

"Looks like it", Wolfgang muttered, picking up his phone again. So far no answer, but it had been delivered to everyone in the group. Most likely they had not bothered to answer when interpreting the message as urgent.

"Why are you helping me?" Henry asked and looked up at Hook again. Now it was Hook's turn to look taken aback and his gaze dropped. Smee looked uncomfortable and tried to find something else but the boy and the pirate to look at and turned sideways. He then stopped, staring out over the sea.

"Captain?" he said, his voice weak. Wolfgang quickly followed the sailor's gaze and saw something moving high up among the grey clouds.

"Smee, we need to get the lad to the boathouse", Hook ordered.

"Why, what's going on?" Henry asked. Wolfgang guessed that he was looking in the same direction as everyone else and that he most likely saw the large, black, winged creature sweep down from the clouds, unless he was blind.

"Killian, what is that?" Henry asked, sounding scared.

"So much for keeping magic a secret from him", Wolfgang growled and jumped out from their hiding place. Hook's eyes widened briefly at the sight of him.

"Run, damn it!" Wolfgang yelled at him while drawing his wand. He more felt than saw Filipi joining him. Hook grabbed Henry by the arm and pulled him along towards the nearest boathouse, Smee following.

"What spells are good against flying monkeys?" Filipi asked, being partly interrupted by the creature's screeching cry.

"I'd say we wing it", Wolfgang responded, grinning slightly at his own pun before raising his wand. "_Stupefy_!"

The black monkey screeched and avoided the red flash of light with near impossible speed.

"_Immobulus_!" Wolfgang shouted. The monkey avoided the second flash as well by veering upwards and suddenly its screech seemed to intensify.

"We've got company", Filipi said, paling somewhat as a horde of monkeys swooped down from the clouds, aiming for the boathouse.

"Let's go!" Wolfgang ordered and started running through the snow as the monkeys flew into the house using the waterway. A shot from a gun cut through the air and Wolfgang hoped that it had been a hit.

"Wolf! Fili!"

He looked back and saw Ella, Chris, Toby, Rachel and Indira running towards them.

"Where's Henry?" Indira asked just as a second shot was heard.

"Inside the boathouse, with Hook", Filipi responded. "Where are the others from your little meeting?"

"Heading in the other way", Rachel responded, waving one of the phones in the air before putting it back in her pocket. With that everyone readied their wands and pointed them at the ever attacking horde.

"_Expulso_!"

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Petrificus Totalus_!"

"_Reducto_!"

"_Evanesco_!"

"_Immobulus_!"

A set of monkeys dropped into the sea or vanished in puffs of smoke as the spells hit them, but a group escaped inside the boathouse, shrieking in triumph.

"No!" Hook yelled from inside. The members of the group all turned towards one another.

"You think..." Ella begun.

"No", Wolfgang responded. "No, that's impossible."

"Not at all, dear."

The British voice caused all of them to spin around and raise their wands towards the Witch. She laughed.

"Should we go through this again?" she asked. "Your wands cannot harm me."

"Stay away, Zelena", Chris ordered. The Witch smiled.

"I have no need of coming any closer", she said. "My pets will fetch what I need for me. However..."

She tilted her head with a wicked grin.

"You are all starting to really annoy me by constantly standing in my way. I think you'd all look much better over there."

She flicked her hand and sent the seven members of the group into an alleyway to their right, sending them crashing to the snow-covered ground. Wolfgang grunted and got up on his elbows only to see Zelena's triumphant grin as she placed a glimmering green wall at both ends of the alley, preventing them from getting out.


End file.
